Yesterday
by Splendors Of A Landslide
Summary: Sequel to Love Unexpected, Nicolette thought her life on the Pearl was going to be great, but when her and Jack's secrets from each other are revealed and a person from her past reappears, she has to choose between her family and love. Jack/OC
1. Stranger than Usual

_**Well, here it is :) Hope you all like the first chapter, I wanted it to be longer but there really isn't a lot I could put in it, although I tried, lol. Was going to post it yesterday, but I had so much to do and I was so tired, I'm off all this week, so hopefully the next chapter will be up really soon! So once again I hope you all enjoy the first chapter and further chapters in the future :)**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone that is related to Pirates of the Caribbean, all that belongs to Disney (although I wish that I own Jack...) I'm only writing this for my sheer enjoyment. But I do happen to own my OCs like Nicolette Brown and Christopher Brown/Grayson, they are of my own creation.**_

_**Better Summary: Nicolette Brown thought that life outside of Port Royal would be worth while, and she was partly right. But when Jack gives her distance suddenly, she doesn't know if it is really worth it any more. She tries willingly to keep next to him thinking it only to be a phase, but when Nicolette finds out that he's hiding more than his past from her, she is proven wrong. Lord Beckett wants control of the seas and he needs the help of two people in order for that to happen. Two operatives are easily manipulated by him to do what he wants, and they will accomplish their separate goals no matter what. But this only leads Nicolette to come to a choice between family and love.**_

_**Review Replies (all others I replied to in message, I think, if I didn't then let me know, lol):**_

_**Jacob's only girl: Awe, thanks! Hope you didn't have to wait too long for it, I tried posting it up earlier, but school got in the way of everything -_- Hope you enjoy the first chapter :)!**_

_**DarkArtest: Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed it! And if you want to, you should, lol! :) I hope you enjoy the first chapter ! **_

* * *

_Chapter One: Stranger than Usual_

She turned the page of her book, feeling the rough paper in between her fingers. This was the fifth time she had read it and it was only the fifth time she had read it in three weeks. Was she bored?

No, how could anyone be bored on a pirate ship. Something new happened everyday. Was she mad?

What was there to be mad about? The only thing, really, to be mad about was that the man that she had lived with for the past year had suddenly stopped being the way he was once to her all but a month ago.

She hated this book. Why was she reading it again? Nicolette Brown looked away from the wording that she thought to be nonsense and a bigger nuisance than what she felt to be. It was dark outside... bleak. Every night they sailed was now like this. She hated that, too.

Nicolette threw the book out of her hands to the damned table in order to knock off the charts that Jack had been studying with for hours, but to her disappointment in her efforts it missed. But, although, she was partly disappointed, she did happen to hit Jack Sparrow square in the head. She tried not to laugh and turned her head innocently to the window, acting like she didn't do it as Jack annoyingly turned his head to face her while nursing the back of his head with a hand. "What was that for?" He asked the first words he had spoken to her of the day.

She looked back at him confused and she stared at him blankly, pretending that the throwing of the book was a part of his and her imagination. Nicky asked, "What was what for?" Her arms crossed over her chest.

Jack rolled his eyes aggravated, he didn't need this, not now. He looked down at the book then back at her, "That." He started and Nicky looked down at the book as well then back into his deep brown eyes. "You threw that at me since you're the only person, other than me, in the cabin. Unless there is some ghost or someone of me crew that is hiding in here, which I highly doubt, love, then it wasn't you. But you are at a disadvantage."

Nicolette just shrugged and stated with a smile, "I did in fact throw it, but unfortunately I missed." It was truly the truth, but Jack didn't believe her at all. He only scoffed and turned back to his charts, studying them like the world would crash around him. They should be there already. Why they weren't, he had no idea. Hopefully an hour, maybe two. Nicky's face dropped and instead of letting her eyes gape at Jack, she only looked forward and let her head lean against the dark wood of the ship. Her leg was extended onto the little perch she had set up for herself two months ago. Nicky looked back at Jack who was studying and tapping his compass to help him.

It was hopeless.

Before Nicolette was going to stand up and walk toward Jack, both their heads looked sharply at the door hearing a heavy knock. Jack could almost smile, finally, they could get this under way. Jack rushed toward the door and opened it quickly. Nicolette raised her eyebrow seeing Jack excited about the knock and got up, walking suspiciously at the door that revealed Gibbs, Jack's appointed first mate. The two were talking in hush tones that weren't a part of her liking at all.

From their silent conversation that Nicolette couldn't hear at all, Jack's face dropped, realizing that he didn't tell her about the prison. She wasn't going to be happy or excited like he was about this. Knowing Nicky, she would be the exact opposite of that. He looked over his shoulder and saw her with her hands across her chest and her eyebrows furrowed at him. "Bugger." He muttered, this wasn't going to go on too well, he knew.

* * *

"Fifteen men on the Dead Man's Chest." Gibbs' voice surrounded the _Black Pearl_ as it sailed in the bleak night sky. His voice was cryptic and he held a bottle of rum in his hand. "Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum." Nicolette was leaning over the railing, worried about Jack no matter how much she despised him at the moment for not even mentioning their little side trip to a prison. Damn him. "Drink and the devil had done for the rest. Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum." Gibbs let out a laugh and Nicolette looked at him over her shoulder annoyed as he looked down at his bottle of rum before going to take a swig.

She swiped it out of his hand as he was about to take a drink out of it. He gaped at her for a moment as she took a long swig of her own out of it. The hard liquid burned down her throat, but it no longer bothered her like it had the first time. She had grown accustomed to the taste. "Sorry, here you go." Nicky gave the bottle of rum back to Gibbs roughly and he reluctantly took it from her. Jack had been gone way too long. Stuff happened to him if he was gone _way _too long. "He's gone too long." She stated to Gibbs before gulping. "That usually isn't a good thing."

Gibbs went next to her with the bottle dangling in his grasp. "Aye, that it isn't." He agreed, slightly leaning over the railing with her. Him and Nicky had grown to be good friends over the past year, he was almost a father figure to her since he seemed wise and reasonable. Less and less Gibbs had complained about a woman on board, it happened sometimes, and Nicolette didn't let the habit bother her like it had with Anamaria. Wherever she was, Nicky did miss the only woman on board with her, the men were sometimes too much.

Gibbs tried to assure the worrying woman next to him, "But it's Jack we're talking 'bout here. Don't worry, miss, I'm sure the Captain is fine. He gets himself out of sticky situations easily."

Nicolette begged to differ with that, recalling times that she had gotten Jack out of plenty situations that were named _sticky._ Tortuga, Singapore, Nassau, she could name practically all the ports that she had gone to that year where she had to either help him talk himself out of it, help him use 'physical force', or just get him out of there when he needed to get out of there. Nicolette wanted to point them out to Mr. Gibbs, however decided that now was not the time. Before she could give him a sarcastic remark, a murder of crows hovered over them while screeching with the whistle of the hollow wind.

"That's bad luck." Nicolette stated instead and Gibbs actually turned to her, almost as a way of agreement.

The crows flew to the Turkish prison that had been rumoured to be the most tortuous prison in the seven seas. It was on a secluded island slightly off its coast. A prisoner was being dragged by his wrists roughly onto the cobblestoned walkway to the black doors that were almost as large as the building—it seemed. His clothes were tattered and his ankles were bloody and torn. He was screaming in agony from the pain and fear of what might happen to him. Along with the crows, a bell sounded throughout indicating it to be a new hour. The bloody, stone cobbled walkway had cages with prisoners already in them dangling on the sides. Some seemed starved from the lack or no food and brittle from the harsh wind that surrounded them and blew its way into their cages. You could see their rib cages go through their thin rags that clung onto the cold sweat of their bodies.

Their cages rattled. Several crows landed on top of them and some actually flew into them. There was a man who seemed already half dead and ready to decompose, seemingly delicious to the vulture like creatures in the murder. The man cowered in his cage as one flew into his own and before he knew it, its beak went to his eye taking it out roughly as the man yelled out in bloody murder.

He yelled louder when he saw the bird fly away with his eye in his beak and a dark red liquid starting to drip down from his empty socket. He would probably die within a few minutes since he was so weak and starved to the point of almost being a rotting corpse. The man who was being dragged had seen it and he struggled in the guards' grip even more, only making his ankles bloodier and weaker as they brought him to the opening to the prison. He soon figured out that it was no use to try any more. He gave up as the guards dragged him into the building, the doors closing in front of them.

Nicolette and Gibbs along with the other crewmen of the _Black Pearl_ who were before sleeping drunkenly on the deck, could hear the painful moans and screams of agony of the prisoners. Nicolette cringed thinking horrible things that might be happening to Jack, but some might not be as worse as what she might do to him when he comes back. The couple had been acting strange to the crew lately, stranger than usual. She was hesitant on taking out her spyglass that was hidden in her waist jacket. Nicolette just couldn't, not daring.

She retreated her hand from her pocket, knowing her nerves about Jack would only increase.

The darkness around them didn't settle her mood at all, she missed the warm Caribbean sun, she wanted to go back there. She couldn't wait for this affair of Jack's to end, whatever it might be, to be done and over with. Hopefully, things would go back to... what seemed to be normal for each other rather than... distant and secretive.

On the other side of the prison, men that had died in the prison (that everyone considered as the 'lucky bastards') were in caskets containing their lifeless corpses. Two workers threw each one into the bleak water, not giving the respect of the dead, but some of those criminals did not deserve said respect. They floated to a far-off distance from the secluded island and a crow that trailed away from its murder landed on top of it smelling rotting bones.

To get into the casket, the bird pecked onto the deep brown wood. _Peck, peck, peck,_ the man inside winced from the annoyance that was now annoying him. He hated birds since Cotton's parrot arrived. The crow was unsuccessful in entering. He tried again, _peck, peck, peck_. Damn bird. The man went into his holster and took out his pistol during the birds last two peck. He leaned the pistol onto the wood with his finger wrapping around the trigger. _Peck, peck—boom! _The annoying crow was shot through the wood and fell into the water lifelessly leaving the remainder of feathers scattered along it.

An arm extended through the small hole that the bullet had left with the pistol still in its hand. He rotated his hand around searching for the bloody thing. It wasn't there, good, he didn't have to worry about his hand being torn off by that wretch. _Captain_ Jack Sparrow emerged from the casket going through the pieces of wood that contained him. He felt that his head was topless and he panicked, searching the wooden casket that was containing him and the dead body for his hat. Jack made a face when he had found it on top of the body's skeletal face. If it weren't his hat, he would probably burn it.

Jack placed his hat on top of his head and put his reliable pistol safely under his belt. Jack looked back down at the corpse then back up seeing the _Black Pearl _at a far off distance. The black sails silhouetted with the dark sky that was barely under the light of the moon. He had to make a make-shift long boat. The casket should do... but what should he use as an oar? Jack looked down at the body and bowed his head, crossing himself. Jack took the leg of the dead body and pulled and tugged at it to get it out.

"Sorry, mate." He muttered as the leg finally snapped off from the hip. Sparrow dipped it into the water and started to row toward his ship. "Mind if we make a little side trip?" He asked it as if it could talk back... you never know. Silence was the answer to the question. He tilted his head knowingly and stated, "Didn't think so."

* * *

Nicolette walked over to the railing nervously and sighed in relief seeing Jack row his way to the ship. When he got closer, she noticed that he was in a casket... using a dead man's leg as an oar... or that was what it looked like to her. She shook that thought out of her head, thinking it to be ridiculous. Gibbs rushed over to the side as Jack was making a stop at the bottom of his ship.

Gibbs offered a hand to help his Captain up, but instead received a rotting bone that Jack was using earlier. He examined the bone in his hand. Nicolette took Jack's coat and went behind him draping it along his shoulders that were partly drenched. Her eyes widened when she realized that it really _was _a bone. But she shouldn't be surprised, she muttered, "I should already be accustomed to this."

Jack did a quick glance at her and was about to say something when Gibbs stopped observing it. His voice was confused as he spoke, "Not quite according to plan."

He turned his head toward Gibbs to explain, "Complications arose, ensued, were overcome." Nicolette rolled her eyes and objected to commenting, knowing it to be a lost cause if she were to state that that was why she should have gone with him. But she was a little happy that she wasn't allowed to, since she might also had used a dead person's leg to escape.

Jack walked forward and Gibbs followed him, Nicky stayed behind with her arms crossed on her chest. She knew the crew was upset about something, she didn't want to get into it. Gibbs asked, "You got what you went after, then?" Jack took out a piece of cloth that was in his waist jacket as he continued. Nicolette gaped at him. That was what he risked his life for? A bloody piece of cloth? Her original plan to stay behind was vetoed.

She hurried over and inquired, "That's what you went after?" Jack pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. He loved Nicky, but sometimes she was annoying about his actions and intentions. It was her only flaw. Jack reluctantly turned around to face her and she added, "A bloody piece of cloth?"

"Ah, Nicky," Jack had started walking forward without paying attention to where he was walking to, "it's not only a piece of cloth, darling. There is far more meaning—." Jack walked into Leech who was standing with his arms crossed over the crew who were looking at Jack slightly disappointed. Nicolette backed away, feeling the intensity of their stares that were on _him._

Gibbs explained to his Captain while he was just looking at them confused, "Captain, I think the crew—meaning me as well—were expecting something a bit more..." Gibbs trailed off searching for the right word and Jack looked over at him questionably. He found it, "shiny." 'Ayes,' sounded out throughout the crew in agreement. Gibbs started to explain as Jack looked pointedly at his crew that were surrounding him not in a friendly way. "What with Isla de Muerta going all pear-shaped and reclaimed by the sea, and the treasure with it—."

Leech interrupted adding, "And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic—."

"And the hurricane!" Marty intruded after him. Another sound of agreement was heard around them and Jack looked back at Nicolette who was looking away from the crew minding her own business.

"Did you know about this?" He inquired to her and Nicky took a moment before realizing that he was talking to her.

She shrugged, "Somewhat." Jack glared at her as she looked away from them and gazed to where ever she was looking at before and act like she wasn't paying attention at all.

Gibbs' voice made Jack turn toward him again, "All in all, it's been some time since we've done a speck of honest piratin'." Jack still looked pointedly toward the crew and Gibbs, he looked between them. The thing that he had was better than a shiny penny! Though it was a cloth, with a drawing... okay they might not be excited about it, but still!

He made a face and asked, "Shiny?"

Gibbs confirmed, "Aye, shiny."

Jack looked around at his crew, "Is that how you're all feeling?" Nicolette could've sworn that she saw his eyes bulging out in paranoia from the corner of her eye, but ruled that out. "That I'm not serving your best interests as Captain?" _Oh Lord, he thinks they are mutinying him, _Nicky thought. An awkward silence had fallen around the crew and everyone looked at each other knowing that it was true, but were too scared to mention it. Jack had become handy with his pistol and his aim was as sharp as ever. He wouldn't mind right now if he had death on his ship because of that.

A brave soul decided to squawk, "Walk the plank!"

With no hesitation, Jack took out his pistol annoyed with that bird and pointed it straight at him. "What did the bird say?" Nicky looked at him in disbelief of how jumpy he was. She tried not to focus on it.

Leech's voice radiated into the air and it was one of the few sensible things that he was so kind to share to others, Nicolette believed, anyway. "Don't blame the bird." She didn't like Leech, he seemed too, what was the word? Well, he seemed too _smart_, _knowing, factual, _a _know-it-all,_ almost. They never acknowledged each other ever since Jack had picked him up in India. "Tell us, what's in that piece of cloth you got there."

Nicky walked next to Jack as he took a peek, she tried to as well, but all of a sudden the damned monkey that belonged to Barbossa jumped down and snatched it out Jack's hand before he could respond. Jack, the monkey, scampered across the deck on his little paws while Jack was trying to use his own pistol to shoot the little bastard. But to his dismay, it didn't work. Wet powder. Of course. Nicky's pistol was in his view and in a flash, Jack swiped it out from under her belt and aimed it at the cursed monkey. He pulled the trigger, but since it was undead, it failed. But the sound of the bullet firing scared Jack the monkey into dropping the cloth onto the deck.

Nicky rolled her eyes and looked at Jack annoyed. She stated, "You know that won't do any good." Marty ran over to go get it.

"Does me." Jack replied to her looking her in the eye somewhat annoyed at her as well.

"Maybe if you were nicer to the cursed monkey it wouldn't be doing such mean things to you." She stated with a smirk developing, but Jack didn't have one at all.

He retorted, "Maybe if you just shut it for once in your life, I would be nicer to the damn monkey and we can call it a day!" She glared at him and knowing that she was unwanted at the moment she backed away a bit. The crew around them could feel the tension between the two that had been there for weeks at a time. They didn't know whether or not they were having a fight or that they suddenly couldn't stand each other. They never argued, argued around them, that is. But there were definitely muffled arguments they heard all the time during the night sky.

Marty cut the tension with his voice like a knife, "It's a key." He held the cloth in front of him, revealing the key. The cloth seemed rough and old between his fingers. Nicky along with the crew tilted their heads slightly trying to comprehend on why this was important. She looked up at Jack for answers and his face seemed to lighten up slightly. He sauntered over to Marty taking it out of his hands. Marty backed into his early position next to Leech, he was up to his hip, almost.

"Much more better." Jack stated as he raised the cloth to reveal to all the key. He corrected, "It is a _drawing_ of a key." Nicolette raised her eyebrow and like the other members of his crew, she held the confused expression that was beckoning on everyone's face. Jack waited for them to be as excited as he was about this, but none of their faces changed. His smile dropped and he tried to talk to them as if they were children, "Gentlemen," he looked toward Nicky and added, "and Nicky, what do keys do?"

She rolled her eyes as Leech answered it unsure, "Keys... unlock, things?"

"Oh, really?" Nicolette looked over at Leech annoyed. She stated sarcastically to him, "I didn't know that." Leech glared at her and she looked away from him in the opposite direction. Nicolette muttered, "Idiot." Leech gritted his teeth hearing it. He didn't like that woman at all.

Gibbs' voice stopped Leech from doing something that he would regret to do, "And whatever this key unlocks, inside there is something valuable." He was starting to catch on to what Jack was trying to get out. _Finally, _Nicolette thought, _someone with a brain._ "So we're heading out for whatever this key unlocks!" Nicolette lost hope and looked over at Jack who seemed like he had hope for Gibbs as well, but they were just crushed.

He was close, though. "No." Jack stated and Gibbs looked at him confused as Jack took a step forward toward him, "If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first have found the key what unlocks it?" Jack spoke way too fast for anyone around them to even comprehend a word. Nicolette raised an eyebrow while trying to catch up to what he had said. Not even she, who sometime had spoken the 'Jack' lingo that she had grown to hate, didn't understand at all. So they were going after the key? That would seem logical.

Gibbs looked between Nic and the other members of the crew before answering, making sure that he wasn't the only one that was confused. He looked back at Jack, "So, we're going after this key!"

"You're not making any sense at all." Jack stated, Gibbs just looked at him like he was crazy. Nicolette raised her brow and gained the same look Gibbs had. He was acting... strange, more strange than usual. It was odd, even for him.

"You're not making sense." Nicky commented, receiving a glare from Jack before adding, "You can't deny it." She crossed her arms over her chest with her eyebrows furrowed at him. Actually, he could deny it. Jack couldn't tell. Was she mad or annoyed with him? But by the look, the tone, the hands over her chest, and her... glare, he had the feeling that it was both.

Marty looked up at Jack and asked, suddenly feeling tension, "So, do we have a heading?" Jack's focus was not on Nicky any more, but it was now on Marty.

Jack smiled brightly, unlatching his compass. "Aye! A heading!" He opened the compass onto the palm of his hand and stared at it, focusing on what he wanted. Key. Key. Key. Key. Key. Key. Instead of having a general heading, the needle spun wildly. At first it went toward the Starboard side of the ship, would've worked, probably, then toward Nicolette, who was looking at him like he had lost the least amount of sanity that he once had. Then it just turned and turned into a slow, never-ending cycle that he couldn't make out.

Jack shoots his arm out and began to point a way with his eyes never leaving the compass, just in case it would stop, "Set sail in a... general," the needle turned somewhere else and his finger followed in the opposite direction, "that way direction." Nicolette just looked at him for a moment and raised her eyebrow with her eyes narrowing at him concerned. Maybe he was sick and had a fever, he always had a heading right away.

Gibbs raised his eyebrow, too, "Captain?" He leaned forward slightly to take a peek at the compass, but Jack snapped it shut immediately, before Gibbs could influence it. Even though, he would possibly have a better heading to wherever they were going than Jack would.

With that, Jack turned on his heel and walked to his cabin slowly as he ordered, "Go on, snap to and make sail. You know how it works." Jack could feel all the confused stares that were burning his back. Gibbs looked toward Nicolette who only looked back at him equally confused then he looked at Marty who was standing next to him. Jack went into his cabin with a slam of the door.

Gibbs and Marty walked over at the railing while the other crewmen were running around the ship following their orders. Marty looked up at Gibbs with concern and he looked down at him, "Have you noticed lately, the Captain seems to be acting a bit strange..." Gibbs raised a brow and Marty only shrugged adding, "er."

Gibbs looked over at the cabin door agreeing with him, "Aye. Somethings got Jack vexed, setting sail without knowing his own heading. Mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all." Marty nodded, and followed his gaze toward the cabin.

"Something isn't right with him." Nicky stated as the crew finally got out of their current state and started getting to work on an order that they weren't sure of. She looked over at Gibbs and Marty who were at the railing looking at the Captain's quarters with concern. Nicky walked to their cabin and slowly opened the door a crack to see Jack pacing the cabin and taking off his coat. He was acting more strange than ever. She muttered to herself, "Something isn't right with him at all."

* * *

_**Jack really is acting strange...er, lol. And Nicky and him, seem to definitely not be the same at all because of it. So this was the first chapter, I tried making it longer, like I said before, but I didn't know what else to put into it. I hope you all enjoyed it and the next chapter will be up really soon, I promise. **_

_**Review?**_

_***Revised***_


	2. Meet Christopher Brown

_**Love the turnout of the first chapter :) I'm glad that a lot of you found it good, lol. So I typed this one as fast as I could just so that I could get out for you. Sorry, no Nicolette and Jack interaction here, but hopefully you will enjoy it anyway and this is where the plot for both this and the next one starts, really, lol. Hope you like it! Thank you to the reviewers, favouriters, and alerters, you guys keep me going!**_

_**Note for review replies: For now on, I'm going to reply to those with accounts through a message rather than on a chapter, it's easier. If you're anonymous than don't worry, I'll make sure to reply on the chapter for you. And if you don't get those messages, (because I know that I don't sometimes) let me know and I'll do the same since you do deserve to read your replies right? Right. Lol. I'm only doing this because it's easier and quicker, I won't message you right away, but I will do it before the beginning of the new chapter :) **_

_**Okay, so now, enjoy!**_

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_Chapter Two: Meeting Christopher Brown_

Port Royal. Two words that Christopher Grayson thought should never be in a combination. It was vile and dissolute, like a pirate. He never thought that he would have to sail back there, especially since he told Lord Beckett that he wouldn't in a hundred years. But now, it was where his ship made berth and he was summoned there three days ago by the man himself, he took his sweet time getting there. Christopher was watching his ship being docked from the helm. He couldn't believe it. After what had happened with his father _and_ sister, he thought that it would be best to make this port on his not-to-go-to list, but now... ugh, that was all he thought, _ugh_. Not only was he dreading his visit to Port Royal, he was also in the middle of a trade in Antigua from India, spices and such.

This was ridiculous.

* * *

"Has our Captain made it into dock yet?" Ian Mercer looked out the window and saw the _Greene Marauder_ docking into the harbour. He was cleaning one of his many knifes that he carried with him. He turned to the man in a black outfit and a white collar. He wore a hat that had two corners and under it was a powdered wig, he was short, shorter than what a man his age should be. Mercer nodded and went back to cleaning his knife before pocketing it. Lord Cutler Beckett pursed his lips and stated looking away from his assistant, "Perfect. Bring Mr. Turner in here and fetch Captain Grayson quickly before he gets any ideas."

Without another word, Mercer was gone. Cutler Beckett looked at the door and smirked to himself, but his smirk wasn't one to be taken lightly. He walked away from his desk, letting his hand skim the mahogany wood as he made his way toward an outlook that had a good view of the dock. He smelled the sweet spray of the sea, Beckett, definitely had his share in success from the Company and the sea definitely did flaunt it for him. Soon it would be all his, he would have total control by whatever means necessary. He let his hands graze the railing while he shared a villainous smile, he only smiled in his own privacy and with good reason.

That smile could only reveal all that he was. All of his plans.

He heard the door open and his smile dropped, going back to his serious, negotiable face. "Sir," he heard one of his officers call him and he made it back to the inside of his office. The officer continued seeing his superior, "the prisoner as ordered."

Beckett passed a very angry man and walked toward his desk, shuffling papers around looking for the Letters of Marque. "Those won't be necessary." When he found them, he tucked the Letters of Marque into his jacket as the men removed the shackles off of William Turner. Beckett moved to the bottle of sherry and took out three glasses to pour it into. He poured the sherry in each one and gripped two in his hand and offered one to Will. He only glared and didn't accept it.

"Do you intend to release Elizabeth as well?" He asked as he walked forward and stood in front of Beckett with his eyes like daggers. He would do anything to get Elizabeth out of that cell as well, even if he had to die in the process of doing it. Cutler could tell that Will already wasn't fond of him, by the way he looked at him, by ruining his wedding day. All but good business he did that under, of course.

He answered, "That is entirely up to you." Beckett retreated his hand with Will's glass of sherry and placed it onto his desk next to the other awaiting glass.

"Really?" Will inquired. "Then I'll just pop out and tell the guards to let her go." Beckett didn't clarify on that like he should have done.

"Let's clarify that, shall we?" He started and took a sip out of his own glass of sherry. "That is entirely _dependent_ on you." Will looked at the man questionably, not catching up to what he means. Lord Beckett continued to explain to him, "The East India Trading Company has a need of your services."

"What is the East India Trading Company doing in the Caribbean?" Will suddenly asked as Beckett gestured toward the map that was painted onto his office. It had all their business routes and port of calls on it. Will noticed that now Port Royal stood out like the other berth places for ships. Everything was labelled, there was barely any blank spots on it. The world was unfolded in front of his very eyes. But there were still blank edges of it since it was finished, the painter was still there painting it.

Beckett decided to give the man a small lesson on economics and business and looked upon the painted map along with Turner, "It would not be in the best interests of the Empire to be bound by matters of geography, would it? After all, when goods do not cross borders, armies will." Will didn't seem interested at all in what he was saying, he only seemed determined to get what he wanted. Elizabeth's freedom.

Will looked down and saw the third glass of sherry on the desk. Only him and Beckett were in the room, one plus one equalled two, last time he checked, not three. He looked back up at Beckett and before he continued, Will asked, "Who, may I ask, is the third glass for?" Beckett swung around to answer, but it was as if it was on cue that Mercer and Grayson walked into the office. Christopher and Will locked eyes and both raised their eyebrow wondering why both of them were here... with each other. But Christopher didn't dare show any other acknowledgement of Will there.

Beckett turned around, "Ah, Captain Grayson," he looked at his employee with disappointment, but Christopher didn't acknowledge it, "seems as though, you still have a bad misconception of time as ever since you are late as usual." Christopher looked at his employer as he offered him a drink and then nodded off to Mercer to leave. He walked forward and took the drink out of his hand politely as Mercer left.

"Well, I was in the middle of an important trade in Antigua when I got your summon." He took a sip out of the sherry, only to find that it was strong for the usual drink he consumed. He liked light wine aboard his vessel if any alcohol. The fact that sherry was too strong for him made him not a big drinker at all. He tried not to show his distaste in the drink and placed it on the desk that was in front of Beckett and Turner. Will was eyeing Chris not sure why he was here while Chris just avoided eye contact. He continued but this time he was lying to him, "Once we got it, my men and I made a great haste on arriving, but we experienced unfair winds and rough waves which postponed our trip here."

"Whatever you say, Mr.—" Beckett started, not believing a word he said. He knew that Grayson was dreading to come here, but the reason why was supposed to be unknown. But Beckett knew. He knew the rumours, he knew his employee's history, he knew a lot about Captain Christopher Grayson. Or should he call him Brown? It was strange how he had thought he could get this passed the director of the Company who was very intelligent about the people that was around him. It was strange how he thought that this charade would go about so long.

Christopher interrupted, correcting, "Captain, if you please, sir." Grayson was definitely proud of his title and wouldn't ever be called a Mr. ever again. Sir, Captain, that would do, anything that really exposed his authority, really. Beckett nodded acknowledging it.

He asked for him and apparently Will who was looking him up and down, "Why might I ask am I summoned here along with this..." he looked over at him and then back at Beckett, "with this person?" Christopher acted like he didn't know Will at all. Cutler Beckett's lips turned into a small smirk, interesting.

"You and Mr. Turner are here because you and him have a mutual friend." Christopher stopped his mouth from dropping, hoping that it was different person than the person that he and Will knew. But who else would it be? Beckett turned away before Christopher could inquire something and walked toward the fire pit. Will and Christopher just looked at each other equally confused, but confused in different ways. Beckett continued, "But this friend is slightly not a friend to you, Captain, is she?" He turned to face him again while grasping a metal rod, "Should I call you Grayson or Brown?"

"I beg your pardon?" Christopher raised his eyebrow, seemingly nervous. Beckett looked at him waiting for his answer, knowing the suspicion of him being something that he was not was right. Christopher cleared his throat and stated, "Sir, may you enlighten me on what you are talking about? I seem to be confused." Will looked at him in disbelief, he was just going to deny his family like that? Will examined Nicolette's brother, he was nervous and he could tell that he was sweating and turning red.

Beckett released his grip on the rod and clasped his hands behind his back, "Then I'm guessing it would be Grayson. Strange, how a man of your position would so easily not acknowledge his own family in order to retrieve his own success, isn't it, Mr. Turner?"

"You can say that." Will stated, for once giving a straight answer to Beckett. But Will had a hint of understanding in his voice, but he just wanted to get to the point. He felt that Beckett was stalling. "Now, if you don't mind, can you stop stalling and get on with this?"

Beckett looked at Turner curiously as if he was reminded to do so, "Ah, yes. We need you two to act as agents for the company in a business transaction—."

"Lord Beckett, I don't recall quitting under your employment." Christopher intruded, annoyed. He had his arms crossed over his chest and added to him, "Also, I have a ship to run, business transactions of my own, there is no possible way for me to take part in another job for you. So sorry."

"Not even if your sister is involved in this?" Beckett looked at Christopher curiously to see how he was going to react and Christopher just looked at him like he was crazy. His sister? Why would his sister have anything to do with this? She was in Port Royal, with Jeremiah. "Anyway," he continued again looking at both William and Christopher, "it seems that we all have either a mutual friend or a certain connection, in Mr. Grayson's case," it was Captain, did Beckett hit his head on that damn cane of his? "to a Captain Jack Sparrow."

Christopher furrowed his eyebrows at him. Jack Sparrow? What had he to do with him? He heard stories about the notorious pirate, but had no sighting of him. And for Lord Cutler Beckett, the man with a pure hatred of pirates to call that _creature _a Captain, but not him was... was... so strange! How dare he? What an insult! But what had his sister had to do with anything? That was the most mind boggling thing. Will looked at Christopher, knowing what connection he had, however he had no intention of telling him.

He looked back at Cutler and corrected, "More acquaintance than friend." Christopher seemed to be thinking everything over, trying to piece the puzzle together, but couldn't finish it. He wanted that missing piece. Will asked, "How do you know him?"

"We've had our dealings in the past." Beckett picked up the rod in the fire pit revealing a 'P' brand, he examined it, remembering the moment Jack was forced into the life of piracy. "And we each left our mark," Christopher examined it from afar, what type of 'dealings' did they have? He was obviously not a friend of Sparrow's like he thought himself to be. "on the other." What mark was that?

Will pursed his lips and asked, "What mark did he leave on you?" Beckett's face dropped into his stone, unreadable look. He placed the rod slowly back into the fire pit, not wanting to get into it.

"What I don't get about this is what does it have to do with me?" Christopher asked confused behind Beckett's back. Why was he even here? And why was Beckett being so secretive about it? Was it that bad to just come out with it? Would he react badly toward it? It really couldn't be worse than being held in suspense to find out what it was.

Beckett clasped his hands behind his back again and without looking at Grayson, "Why, you must have heard rumours about your sister's whereabouts, have you?" Silence was the response. Rumours? "Interesting, I guess you haven't, well it turns out that Mr. Turner and Miss. Brown helped Jack Sparrow escape from a well-deserved fate at the gallows the day after you had left." Grayson raised his eyebrow and looked toward Will, so, that was why that she had stayed the year before. Before he could comment, Beckett continued, "After his escape, your sister has been engaged in a bit of piracy of her own."

_No... impossible, _Christopher looked at him in disbelief. The room suddenly felt tense and Christopher grew pale like he was suddenly about to pass out. His sister... Nicolette... Nic... had been involved in piracy? That was so far-fetched. This had to be a joke. A horribly cruel joke. Look, that man couldn't even look him in the eye, he probably couldn't even hide that malicious smile that Christopher thought was plastered on his face. He didn't know that Cutler Beckett even had a sense of humour. If he did, it was very dry. His paleness suddenly disappeared and he pretended to laugh. Then he stated while actually finding himself in _actual_ hysterics, "That's funny, I thought you just said that my sister was a pirate. "

Will looked over at him like he was insane. This man actually thought that Beckett was telling this as a joke? "Christopher," Will started, looking at him. Christopher looked at the man, he was almost shocked by the informality, but he remembered that he gave this Will character permission to call him that when they first met. Will continued, "what you are hearing isn't a joke." His face suddenly dropped and Beckett turned around to look at his employee. Christopher gulped, he would rather his sister deathly ill, in bed, with his father caring for her than her being involved in such a crime that was... uncomprehending to take a part in!

The room almost started to spin and Christopher could feel his knees buckle. "Do you want to sit?" He barely heard Will's voice even ask him.

"Yes, Mr. Grayson, sit down while I—." Beckett started gesturing to a seat that was by the balcony and then was interrupted by him.

"It's Captain!" He said through gritted teeth, was he not still a Captain? Was he being demoted without his knowledge? Beckett had a lot of nerve. First summoning him to a place he despised. Then not even calling him a Captain, when in fact he was still a Captain of one of his vessels, he let that slide at first. _Then_ stating his sister was a pirate. Like he wasn't already upset with her for not going with him the year before. Finally, this man had the nerve to call him Mr. than Captain once again. "And I can direct myself to a chair. Thank you." Beckett looked at him not phased as Christopher sat down by the balcony.

"Now, where was I before we were so rudely interrupted?" Christopher glared at him and scoffed. His patience was running low by the minute. Will's attention was now on Beckett who was looking at the rod that he was gripping before. "Oh," he realized and turned back to Will, walking slowly back to him, "by your and Miss. Brown's efforts Jack Sparrow was set free. I ask you to go to him, and recover a certain property of his possession."

Will asked almost smugly to him, "Recover. At the point of a sword?"

Beckett corrected and his face seemed to light up, "Bargain." He went into his black jacket pocket and retrieved the Letters of Marque. He flashed them in front of Will's eyes and his eyes were glued onto them as Beckett explained, "Letters of Marque," Christopher looked at the back of Beckett's head and raised a brow, what sort of item was he to recover that amounts to full pardon? "You will offer what amounts to a full pardon. Jack will be free, a privateer in the employ of England."

"Why would you want a pirate working for you?" Christopher asked, intruding again. Beckett turned to him and scoffed at the man. He was once so loyal to the company, now he was lucky to be a part of it. Four months ago, a man that was a part of his crew told him that Christopher Grayson was a bad Captain, a Captain that was only one because of his luck. It was under confidential issues. It wasn't in good business if it got out that the trusted first mate complained about his Captain's ways. When Beckett found out about his sister, they made a deal, that would benefit the both of them in the end. Now, Christopher was proving to be more of a nuisance. "Pirates want freedom from authority figures like the King, which is why they partake in such activities."

"And I highly doubt that Jack is going to think that freedom and employment to be the same like many other." Will added to Christopher's statement. Beckett looked between them and gestured for them both to come out on the balcony with him to look out.

He scoffed as they followed him, "Freedom." Beckett walked out onto the balcony again, taking in all the activity that was around him. Workers on the docks were lifting up a huge clock that would overlook the sea from a cargo hold of one of his many ships that were docked. This was Lord Cutler Beckett's domain. Will stood at the railing next to him, eyeing everything carefully. Christopher stood behind them with his arms crossed agitated. This was ridiculous. Now he wanted nothing to do with this at all. Not with his sister. Not with Beckett.

Whatever he was going to offer to him, he was going to decline. He should just leave now. But he would seem more rude than he was acting. Even though, he surely had the right to be.

"Jack Sparrow is a dying breed. The world is shrinking, the blank edges on the map filled in. Jack will have to find a place in the new world, or perish." Beckett turned to face Will and Will looked over at him, "Not unlike you. You and your fiancé face the hangman's noose." Will looked down feeling guilty... it was all his fault that Elizabeth had to pay the price for what he had done. He did it for his friend and for himself. Beckett felt successful and continued, "Certainly that's motivation enough for you to convince Captain Jack Sparrow along with my colleague," colleague? "to accept my offer. And for you to accept as well." Beckett extended his hand while

Christopher just looked at his hand like it was a snake's venomous tongue. He couldn't get passed the word... 'colleague.' That 'colleague' better be Mercer. But then he was reminded, he was practically like _Mercer._

Will looked at it for a moment. Why did he feel like it was making a deal with the devil? He shrugged it off... he would do anything for Elizabeth. He would die for Elizabeth's safety. "Mr. Turner?" Both him and Christopher were pulled out of their faults by Beckett's smooth, persuasive voice. Will hesitated, and then went to shake his hand sealing the deal. Just as Beckett planed. Christopher looked at him in disbelief, shocked that Will was so quick to accept... for a loved one. People do crazy things when they were in love. Love, something that was fake and non-existent. Something believed to be extinct in his mind over millions of years ago. Christopher didn't believe in it... he did love women, but there was never a single one that really caught his eye.

"You'll get both Jack... and the _Black Pearl_." Will stated as he retreated his hand. The _Black Pearl?_ Jack Sparrow? Christopher was suddenly reminded of his sister's love on the ocean that he thought she had mentioned to him. A merchant Captain by the name of Jack Smith of the _Black Tide,_ a kind, lawful man. What a fool he was to believe her so easily!

Beckett looked at Will questionably. What would he want with a ship? "The _Black Pearl?_"

Will gritted his teeth annoyed with him and towered over him with his hand on the railing, "The property that you want that he possesses." The grip on the railing only grew tighter, showing the white in his knuckles. This man was toying with his patience. He needed this done... quickly, Elizabeth's life was now hanging on a string and he was stalling, and had the scissors to cut it. But if it wasn't the _Black Pearl,_what was it?

"A ship? Hardly." Beckett stated looking at the man in disbelief, they had plenty of ships. Why would he want another? Especially one that he already owned. "The item in question is considerably smaller and far more valuable. Something that he keeps on his person at all times. A compass." Will remembered that clearly. That night on the _Interceptor._ Although it was stormy and it was a long time ago he remembered Jack's face clearly focused glancing at that compass. It didn't point North. But it directed them to the location of Elizabeth easily. He looked down with his grip on the railing loosening and Beckett's face lit up. "Ah, you know it." He leaned in closer and stated so they would have a deeper understanding, "Bring me that compass or there is no deal."

Christopher just stood behind them trying to comprehend everything. But he had different thoughts. Jack Sparrow. Jack Smith. _Black Pearl_. _Black Tide._ Was to be hanged and gone forever. Was to be gone for more than usual. Lawful. Lawless. _"In love."_ Oh dear God... please, Nicolette was not in love with a pirate and was doing said piracy with him... anything, but that. He was waiting for a sign but was horribly disappointed that there was no sign from God. It was truly happening.

Will looked over at Christopher who seemed deep in thought. "Do I get to see her before we head off?" He asked looking back at Beckett and he nodded in response. He assumed the colleague was Grayson without question and in a hurry he walked off the balcony heading to see Elizabeth before he would leave.

When the door slam, Christopher's head snapped up and he saw that Beckett was looking at him suspiciously. Christopher stated to him, "That man is so easily manipulated to do it."

"I knew you would see through it, Grayson." Beckett said to him with a crooked grin.

He scoffed, "Who couldn't? He's too in love with her to see it and you would use that to your advantage." He moved toward where Will was standing before and looked out onto the docks, breathing in the salty air. He loved the sea and would rather be on it now than on land. He added, "It's what a man of our mindset would do. I would think, you and I do think alike sometimes, don't we, my Lord?"

Beckett nodded, agreeing with him. Although Christopher was no longer as loyal as he was to him before, he was slightly impressed that not even that could get past him. "Men do strange thing, you will soon learn that." He stated to him. But, despite that, Christopher getting to do this was going to be harder than he thought. He would have to word it carefully. "You are taking this surprisingly well, just finding out your sister was engaged in piracy with a notorious pirate."

Christopher looked at him in disbelief, "I'm taking it well?"

"Are you not?" He questioned looking at his changed demeanour. Christopher sighed, looking at the clock that was still being lifted to their view. He pursed his lips.

He saw what Beckett was doing. "If you think that I'm going to go after her with Turner, you're wrong. I don't want anything to do with her. She was a stranger to me for fifteen years and we only met for one day. _One day_. Why would she deserve such an act of kindness from me? Now, she's a pirate."

"You seem like you hate her." Beckett stated and looked forward along with him. Beckett's mind was working to formulate a way to get him to do this. Christopher wasn't a fool. Did he? No, he would never. But he would never hate his own sister. Though, he didn't seem to deny it. He added nonchalantly, "I would think that you would hate the person that influenced her behavioural changes."

Christopher looked at Beckett suspiciously and could almost agree with him, "That said person would be Jack Sparrow, I presume." Beckett nodded. Christopher looked down, if he saw Sparrow... Jack would wish that he would die in the noose rather than the gruesome death that he would do to him. "'People do things that everyone wouldn't dream of under the influence.' Before I left that was what my mother had told me." He admitted to Beckett. Beckett glanced over at his hands that were becoming tense around the railing.

"You know," Beckett started, looking back forward at the wide spread sea. "I've always admired you, Grayson." Christopher looked over at Beckett with his brow cocked. He waited to hear those words for years, since he had always had to prove himself to him, since Beckett always undermined him. "You have always helped our company with errands that either me or my assistant, Mr. Mercer," Christopher always felt himself to be like Mercer in a way, "couldn't do. But," oh, there was a but, "even though you've proved yourself many times, you haven't proved yourself completely."

Christopher looked at him in disbelief, "Where are you going with this?"

"There are many things of value in these waters. Things that are unimaginable to the human mind." He started in a hush tone that could only be heard by Christopher. Christopher nodded for him to go on since he had paused. Beckett continued, "A chest. A chest somewhere hidden in the Caribbean. Jack Sparrow, is going to look for said chest, I suspect, and with this chest you could have total control of the seas."

"And I suspect that you want that chest to have yourself control of the seas." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Christopher eyed him carefully to make sure that Beckett wasn't pulling his own selfish intent.

"No, don't be absurd." Beckett lied and continued by asking, "Would you like a pirate having control of these waters?" Christopher looked down already feeling the havoc that would come after that. "Exactly." He looked forward and left Christopher a moment for his thoughts before continuing again, "That is why I want that compass, if we get there before him he would we could stop and convict him."

Why would Beckett need another compass? Didn't he have his own? What was so special about it? Christopher didn't bother to question it, but he couldn't help but wonder about it. "So if, if Will Turner is a failure, then I assume that you will have me do this deed for you?" Beckett contemplated for a moment, but then nodded. "Interesting, but I don't know Sparrow well enough to do it. What makes you think that he would take the pardon from me or give me the compass?"

There was always a backup plan. "There's always a plan B in these situations as you know."

"Plan B?"

Beckett nodded, "Who would you rather a pardon for? Jack Sparrow or Miss. Brown?"

Christopher looked at him in disbelief, he was suggesting what he thought he was suggesting was he. "You're not suggesting to kidnap my sister, are you?" Beckett didn't answer and Christopher couldn't help but gape at him... that was ridiculous! "No, I won't. That's absurd. Why would I waste my time when I should be directing a ship rather than being with her and that... that... thing?" Beckett just looked, not phased by him at all. "Lord Beckett, although I've been a loyal Captain who works under you, I will not do it."

"You must, though." Beckett told him sternly.

Christopher narrowed his eyes at him, "I must? I won't. Lord Beckett, I don't think you know why I cannot do it. She's a pirate. I only just found that out and I think, maybe, after I register that I would consider, but right now, by all means, no. I don't want _anything_ to do with my past because this company is my present and future. I can't abandon my ship and my crew, I'm the one that holds them together. I beg your pardon, Lord Beckett, but what you are asking me is truly out of the question. I will not go to that ship and retrieve either my sister or Jack's compass. Find someone else."

"You sure?" Beckett looked at him not really taking no for an answer. "Mr. Grayson," Captain. It was Captain Grayson. "I don't know if you realize the circumstances that you are put under. I'm not a man who goes well with the word _no_, I thought you knew that by now."

"I do." He stated to him with his eyes set away from Beckett, they were on his ship that was still docked.

"Then you know that I am capable of things that a lot of others are not capable of." Grayson nodded, but he didn't take his eyes off of his ship. The sails were set down, his face dropped, he looked to see the crew hustling around the deck, _his crew_. He gulped... no. This couldn't be. "You saying no does not fall under the deal I made with a man of your crew." Christopher knew that man right away, he didn't need a name. "But for exchange of your sister or that compass... that deal between me and him could be broken."

"Patrick." He muttered his name and looked over at Beckett in disbelief, "That bastard betrayed me and took my ship!" He shouted angrily and gripped the railing hard out of anger. His eyes held a fury that wasn't known to Beckett. "That was my life there."

"I know." Beckett stated and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "It could come back to you though if you give me what I offer." Christopher looked at him in disbelief. He couldn't believe that what he had a moment ago, the wheel under his grasp, him standing at the helm, even the title in front of his name. Mr. Grayson, sounded dry and grey, no meaning at all without Captain. He gulped and looked forward to see the _Greene Marauder_ moving away from Port Royal. Beckett took back his hand and left it out for Christopher to shake. "Do we have a deal?"

He looked down at that hand and back at Beckett. Instead of shaking it, he walked into his office taking off his hat for him to keep along with the powdered wig that signalled his authority. His long brown hair was revealed and he took a piece of cloth to tie his hair in a ponytail. He was no longer Grayson. He was now a Brown. He turned toward Beckett and took off his coat that was draped over him and folded it onto the chair by Cutler's desk revealing his uniform.

He stated to Beckett, "Regular breeches and a shirt is going to feel foreign after this." That was his way of acceptance. Beckett could've smiled triumphantly.

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_**Going to be interesting with her brother around, lol.. Beckett is really a interesting character to write, I hope I portrayed him well, his mind is so confusing, lol. Uh, well anyway! I'll post the next chapter soon enough, I promise!**_

_**Review? **_

*Revised*


	3. Nothing Can Get Past Her

**_Hey everyone! Here's the third chapter :) Thank you for all the reviews and people who are following the series! I hope you all enjoy it :D There's not a lot tension with Jack and Nic in this chapter, if there is, it's in the beginning. I wanted to get this done so I can start watching the Yankee Spring training, but I think I missed an hour of it already... oh well, lol! Hope you like the chapter!_**

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_Chapter Three: Nothing Can Get Past Her_

Nicolette gripped a bottle of rum in her hands and offered it to Jack who was at the charts once again. "Thanks, love." He muttered to her and took it out of her hand uncorking it then taking a long-needed swig. He was slaving over his charts and compass for an hour trying to plot a course, but all his compass did was turn wildly. He knew what he wanted, so why was it not working? Damn compass. He groaned while tapping it angrily.

"No problem." She stated halfheartedly and walked over to their small cot. She took off her boots and laid down looking at the ceiling. The black wood never seemed plainer. Nicky frowned at it. She sat up and looked to her left to see the guitar that Jack had gotten her from a plunder, hoping that she could learn. To his disappointment, she couldn't strum a note. Her singing was better and that was horrendous. Jack, though, always lied and said that she was the best player in the seven seas. Broke all her strings the week after she had gotten it. Nicolette never got to replace them and if she did get new ones neither Jack or her could figure how to put them back on. She softly smiled and chuckled to herself as her hand skimmed the neck of it.

The cabin fell into silence and she looked around, suddenly feeling awkward. Silence with Jack wasn't normal, even if it happened to the two of them it was comfortable. She got up and Jack's head was bent over. Nicolette walked up behind Jack and started to rub his shoulders while looking over them to look at the charts. Next to it was the cloth he retrieved. Jack felt Nicky's hands and his body grew tense, it took all his restraint... he had to get this done... he groaned as his compass wasn't cooperating at all, but it was slowly stopping behind him. Nicolette caught a glimpse of it, but Jack snapped it shut immediately and moaned annoyed. Placing his hands on his face, rubbing it agitated.

"You seem tense." Nicky stated, rubbing his shoulders still. Jack knew what he wanted now, he was just not in the mood at all. He was always in the mood. "I think you should relieve that tension for a little while, Jack."

He asked with his hands still covering his face, "You do?" She nodded and bent over taking one of his hands off his face for him. It revealed his rough cheek and she kissed it softly. Jack's eyes were closed as she was doing this debating whether or not he should continue being aggravated with this or relieve his aggravation by sleeping with Nicky. "I really have to do this, Nicky."

"It won't be that long, if you don't want it to be." She whispered as she leaned down and trailed down kissing every inch to his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and Jack parted his mouth to object but his words became nothing as Nicolette quickly covered it with her lips. She kissed him deeply trying to pull him away, Jack just tried so far to not give in, although it was becoming harder by the minute.

Nicky sat herself on top of Jack's lap as Jack kissed her back but with more force. His tongue skimmed her bottom lip and she let it enter. They were fighting for control and she smiled, thinking that she had accomplished getting him away from them. He was so deep in it that he almost had forgotten what he was doing moments ago. Nicolette moaned and her necklace that he had given her skimmed the crook of his neck as she parted and go to kiss that. But that only reminded Jack about what he had to do. Black. Ship. _Black Pearl_. Key. Davy Jones. Debt.

"Nicky!" She slowly stopped and looked up at him in disbelief. She never saw Jack look at her like that. He was unnerved, he wasn't himself at all. She parted her lips as he continued, "I have to do this." His voice was stern, forceful. He talked to her like another member of his crew.

She felt her eyes watering and she got up slowly never taking her eyes off of him. Jack looked at her strictly, but couldn't help but feel guilty. He felt it along with her. They were falling apart, ever since they got out of the Caribbean it had started when he realized his time was soon running out. She wouldn't understand it. He knew. That was why he didn't at all tell her. She didn't say a word, her hazel eyes said them all for her. Nicolette just couldn't look at him without wanting to fling something. Instead of having a fight like usual, she crossed her arms over her chest and walked out of the cabin leaving Jack who was waiting for a tongue lashing clueless.

He looked to his rum for answers and took it in his grip. Rum. It helped him through his good and bad times that he had experienced throughout his life. And, oh, this time wasn't a special occasion. Jack needed his rum more than ever.

Nicolette rushed onto the deck and felt the cold chill that suddenly surrounded her. She hesitated for a moment and went to go back in the cabin to get a jacket, but she didn't. She really didn't want to see Jack's face again right now. Nicolette walked to a rigging that led to the crow's nest. Jack would kill her if he saw her now. As she went to start climbing up it, Gibbs' voice sounded behind her. "Nic, something the matter with ye?" She looked behind her shoulder to see the man with a bottle of rum, he was probably heading down to go to sleep. He was never on night duty.

"No, Gibbs." She lied and looked back at the rigging holding it tightly in her grip. "Nothing at all. Just go to bed, see you at dawn." Gibbs looked at her concerned, but didn't say anything, knowing that she didn't want to get into it at all. She climbed up the rigging while Gibbs walked to go down into the crew's quarters. Nicky only went up on the crow's nest once in her life. She had never felt calmer before.

She made it to the top only to find another man there, Duncan. She always liked him. "Duncan, I'll take over. You seem tired." She stated to him and Duncan looked over at her with his eyebrow raised.

"You sure, Miss?" He asked her as she jumped into the crow's nest beside him. She nodded and he smiled lightly to her, "Thank you, Nicolette." She smiled to him as he went to climb down to go to his hammock below. It dropped quickly as she leaned against the dark wood of it. She sighed as she pulled off the necklace around her neck. She grazed her finger over the black gem that matched everything of the ship and what was surrounding her.

Jack's voice sounded through her head, it almost sounded like he was right next to her. _"Whenever I'm thought about you could rub that black jewel and I'll be there present with you."_ She didn't want to think about him, but he was all that could be in her mind at the moment. She slid down the wood, letting it roughly rub against her back. She brought her knees to her chest. Nicky glanced down at it and rubbed her finger over it again. _Stop rubbing it! _She tried to convince herself and she ignored it. Nicolette didn't want to think about him, maybe if she threw it overboard... he wouldn't notice. That was wrong, she would never. Despite her arguments she closed her eyes, wishing that everything would just change.

"You know," her eyes opened sharply and she looked over to see Jack hanging off the rigging looking down at her, "when you relieve someone off their duty that requires you doing that said duty for them while they are relieved, love." Nicky rolled her eyes and looked away from him. Staying silent. "Ah, the cold shoulder. I see how it is." He stated and he stepped into the tight space that she was sitting in. He slumped down next to her, bringing his knees to his chest like hers. The space became tighter. Nicky just stayed silent along with Jack. He was waiting for a word to escape out of her mouth. He hummed his favorite tune while waiting.

"We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot." Nicky started to sing along without realizing it and chuckled to herself, she wondered why it was so easy to sing along with.

He chuckled and stopped humming, "Drink up me hearties, yo ho." Jack smirked as he took her hand and laced his fingers with hers.

She looked over at him in disbelief and inquired, "How did you know that I was up here?"

"Not that hard, really." He stated smugly and admitted, "Just thought like you and then I realized that you would go to the one place that I tell you all the time not to go to, which is here."

She shook her head not buying it at all, "Duncan?"

Jack couldn't get anything past her her, he knew. He ran into Duncan when he left his cabin a moment ago and he told him that Nicky was hiding up on the crow's nest and she relieved him. Made his search far more easier and quicker. "Can't get anything past you, eh, darling?" He brought her hand to his lips and went to kiss it, but she took it back immediately, remembering that she was mad at him. His charm wouldn't save him right now.

"You actually think that I'm going to forgive you that easily?" She asked him insulted almost and looked away from his brown eyes that always changed her mind somehow. Jack sighed and leaned his head back on the dark wood of his ship feeling defeated. Why did he come out here anyway? He had things to do. He had to set a course, but how Nicolette stormed out without saying a word was... unusual.

"No." He admitted to her and she didn't bother to look back at him. Jack continued, "But this space is cramped and I have a course to set, so I thought maybe that you will come with me back to the cabin and you could go to bed since you seem awfully t—."

"Jack. Just go, please." She told him annoyed. Nicky never had a moment really alone on this ship. It was agitating.

"Sorry, love. No can do." Jack stated. He looked down noticing her finger slightly rubbing the jewel he had given to her a year ago. She was rubbing it before, he assumed. "You see, I think you wanted to see me. You've been rubbing that trinket I've given you the whole time I was here." She looked over at him annoyed, but looked down and noticed that she had been. She didn't even realize. "Magic genie, love, I believed you called me."

Nicky chuckled to herself and stated to him, "Surprising, that you even remembered that. It was so long ago."

"I don't forget stuff like that, darling. Especially stuff from that night." The first time they said they loved each other, it was so nerve wrecking and so anticipated that both didn't want to say it first. Especially when they thought that they would never see each other again after. It was unbelievable that it came natural to them. Jack knew right then and there, that it was true along with Nicolette. Nicky went to look away, but Jack's finger caught her chin and he tilted her face slightly to look him in the eye. "I know that this is sudden, but I want you to trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Nicolette couldn't help but ask, "But what _are _you doing?" For once, Jack couldn't answer a question like that. Truth be told, he barely knew. Jack didn't even know what he wanted... which was even worse. She pursed her lips and looked into his eyes, "Exactly. How am I supposed to trust you if you don't even know what's going on?"

Jack tried assuring her, "You don't understand, I _do_ know what's going on and I _do _know what I am doing." She looked at him in disbelief and Jack just sighed defeated, she knew him too well. Way too well.

He tried again, "Nicky, just trust me." His eyes were pleading as she looked into them. She parted her lips slightly and nodded despite a raging debate that told her otherwise. She wasn't one to follow with her conscience. "I apologize for how I acted back there. You know, at any other situation like that one I would take full advantage of your advances—."

"Jack, I know. I accept the apology. Now if you excuse—." She tried getting up but found herself stuck between Jack and the dark wood of the crow's nest. Nicolette tried again, but she just couldn't get out at all. She looked over at Jack. "This is why only one person stays in here, Jack. Not two." She slumped down into the same position and rolled her eyes annoyed. "Now, we're—."

"Don't be ridiculous, Nicky." Jack stated, "We're not stuck at all." She shook her head and Jack himself tried to get up. "Oh, maybe we are." Nicolette chucked and then felt Jack grab her hand as he was trying to bring her up along with him. They were inches apart and Jack's husky breath was hitting her lips slightly. She looked up at into his eyes and found herself in a spell. "See, I told you we weren't stuck." She started to feel drawn to him and Jack leaned forward to touch her lips lightly. She turned them away when they were about to hit. "Nicky?" Jack looked at her slightly frowning.

"You think after you rejected me that you were getting off that easily?" She took a rope that was by her and gripped it tightly with both hands. "You got another thing coming, Sparrow." She stated to him smugly and Jack smirked behind her. A smile that he hadn't seen for a days was starting to develop and Nicky swung down the crow's nest leaving Jack in awe. She landed on the deck with a loud _thump _from her bare feet. She looked up there and saw Jack with his head hanging down to look at her.

"You're such a tease." He muttered looking for her. She would forever and ever be a tease, he knew. He gripped the rope that she had left hanging for him while Nicolette walked into their cabin.

* * *

Back at the charts. Nicolette turned over in the cot, her eyes shut tightly as the wind and the tide rocked the ship back and forth. She found it hard to sleep without Jack next to her, but figured that she could survive another night. Jack sat down at his desk with his bottle of rum next to him. He grumbled while he was using a protractor and a divider to go through his way on the map. Was there a heading now? He took a peek at his compass the 'P' brand became visible on his wrist. Still nothing. He tapped it annoyed and then snapped it shut. Jack took it in his hands and shook it wildly, hoping he would get at least something out of it. But when he opened it, he made a face. It wasn't at all to his liking. He slammed it down on the desk, but realizing the volume of it he glanced at the cot to see Nicolette slightly stirring. But she wasn't stirring enough to wake up.

He made a more quieter movement toward his rum and went to take a swig, although it was a lot lighter than before. He put it to his mouth and there was... nothing. Nothing but a drop that decided to stay at the bottom of the bottle. This was just grand. He moved the bottle away from his mouth and turned it completely over. The drop decided to make its way down without hesitation. "Why is the rum always gone?" Jack asked himself and placed the empty bottle back on his desk. He got up and started for the rum cellar.

He slightly swayed back and forth, but it wasn't from the rocking of the ship, to his dismay he was reminded, "Oh, that's why." He walked out onto deck and the night sky was still going strong around the _Black Pearl_. Several stars were shining over the ship and Leech was at the helm, waiting for a heading from the Captain. Jack walked to go below deck, but Leech's voice made him walk slower.

"Heading, Captain?" Jack staggered along to the hatch as the wide ocean spread before him and the ship. No islands or ports in sight.

"Steady as she goes." He stated, Leech rolled his eyes and continued manning the helm. Jack opened the hatch to go below deck and closed it before going further below to the crew's hold. Snores and eyes slammed shut indicated that they were all sound asleep. He was glad that the Captain didn't sleep along with them, how did they sleep like that? Jack wished he knew. He looked pointedly at them all as he wrapped his hand around the doorknob that led to the hold. "As you were." Jack said to them.

With that, he headed down into the hold and there... there was his goal. He took the keys off the latch and went to the dark wooden door that led the rum cellar. The keys jiggled in the lock as he tried making his way through. Without the rum cellar, Jack wouldn't know how he would survive his many days out on sea. With a push, Jack opened the door and slammed the door behind him taking a lamp that was off to the side. It was dark and dry down there. As Jack made his way down the steps, only the dim light helped him find his way to the bottom.

Jack looked in between the empty spaces of where rum should be, only to find maggots... or some other disgusting type... bug gnawing at the wood. Jack was disgusted by this. Next to them was a bottle. Jack smirked, thinking that he had found one and gripped it by the neck, tugging on it to get it out. It was hard from being crusted by barnacles... strange. He tugged on it once more and roughly the bottle became loose. But when Jack gripped it, the bottle felt oddly heavy. He raised his brow and placed the lamp onto one of the racks. Jack uncorked the bottle of rum and turned it over, sand poured down onto the deck creating a pool.

"Time's run out, Jack." Jack dropped the bottle hearing the sudden voice. He took his lamp as the bottle shattered below him. His eyes widened, but it wasn't from the sound of a bottle smashing, it was the sight of a familiar face that was sitting in his rum cellar. The man had bleached skin, pale like he had drowned and died along with his lips blue almost as blue as the sea. His body was encrusted with barnacles and on his face was a starfish that was planted on the side of his face. Jack could never forget the man, he was the only loyal member of his old crew.

He squinted his eyes as he walked closer to get a better look at him, "Bootstrap? Bill Turner?" The light, although dim, brightened his view of the man of the sea. It was without a doubt, Bootstrap Bill. He looked bloody awful, why was he here?

"Jack Sparrow, you look good." Bootstrap stated to him with a slight smile. Jack only gaped at him, unsure how to respond to that. He wished he could say the same. What should he say to an old friend? 'You look good, too?' No, Bootstrap probably knew that he didn't at all. 'You look bloody awful,' and risk getting shot? Ha! But he didn't seem, really, armed at all. How about he'd just stay quiet for a while with his jaw hanging like it was now? Which was the less ruder?

Jack thought that he had forgotten how to speak for a moment, but tried to muster up a sentence anyway. All that came out was, "Is this a dream?" Bootstrap looked up at him and shook his head no at his old Captain. Jack had that feeling. "I thought not. If it were, there'd be rum." Without question, Bootstrap's arm shot up with a rum bottle in his hand for Jack. Jack smiled and took it reluctantly, but he had a rough time getting it out of Bootstrap's hands. He had to sniff once he had it to make sure it was truly rum. It was definitely rum.

* * *

Nicolette's eye shot open and saw the cabin empty. She yawned, opening her other eye and she sat straight up stretching her arms over her head. She thought it was morning for a moment, but there was no sunshine that emptied into the cabin and she didn't at all hear the bustle of the crew on the deck. Nicolette was proven wrong. She was actually surprised that Jack wasn't at all by his desk still studying the charts. He seemed so focus in them before she had gone to sleep. She got up on her feet and walked over to the desk.

The charts were spread out before her and she traced her hand where she thought to be Port Royal. Did she miss it? No, Nicky didn't understand how could she, but she did miss her long time friend. They stopped sending each other letters over sea a long time. "How can you stay up all night looking at these?" Nicky asked to herself and sat down in Jack's chair, feeling the warmth that was still there. He must had just left. The possible reason was to get more rum, judging by the empty bottle. She smirked, propping her feet on the table and leaning back on her chair slightly. It was nice, sitting on the _Captain's _chair in the _Captain's _cabin. She never ever dared to sit on his chair before.

If only Jack left his hat then she could pretend to be in his position for a little while. Nicky looked around to see the compass at the corner. She pursed her lips and stated to the object, "Ah, so you're the pathetic navigational device that has been giving us problems."

What was so special about that thing anyway? Jack always kept it on him, she was actually shocked that for once he had left the cabin without taking it with him. He always held it so close to himself, like... he was hiding something from everyone else. She always wondered why... Nicky went to get the compass to stroke her curiosity just enough so her mind wouldn't stir about the damn thing. She opened it, it seemed broken, but she knew it was broken. The compass didn't point North. But while examining it, she saw it turn and turn before it made a steady stop toward the cabinet by the door. She furrowed her eyebrows at it and looked at the compass, seeing that it was making a steady stop still at the cabinet.

"That's... strange..." Nicolette muttered, she looked to her left then to her right to make sure no one was fooling with her. Someone on the crew was messing with her... it had to be that. But her curiosity peaked higher as she got up from Jack's chair and walked over to the cabinet slowly never taking her eyes off the compass. Not paying attention at all, she tripped over something on the floor. Nicky fell straight on her knees, that were partly showing from the skirt of her nightgown being bunched up. The compass suddenly changed course while she was on the floor to behind her. She raised a brow and turned to look behind her shoulder reluctantly to see the book she had thrown at Jack—oh, wait, the charts... earlier.

* * *

"You made a deal with him, Jack." Jack was caught trying to change the subject and leave Bootstrap in the rum cellar. He was inches away from his face and Jack found himself staggering back from him. Not in fear, but not in his usual bravado either. "He raised the _Black Pearl _from the depths for you, and for thirteen you've been her Captain."

Actually, he was only Captain for two years and was viciously mutinied upon. He went to point that out, "Technically—."

Bootstrap followed Jack's stagger away from him and shook his head interrupting him, "You won't be able to talk yourself out of this. The terms what applied to me apply to you, as well. One soul, bound to crew a hundred years upon a ship." Jack raised his finger to argue that part and the argument was what Bootstrap expected from him.

"Yes, but the _Flying Dutchmen_ already has a Captain, so there's re—."

Bootstrap snapped and leaned forward more, "Then it's the locker for you! Jones' terrible leviathan will find you, and drag the _Pearl _back to the depths and you along with it." Jack's eyes widened and he gulped... that didn't sound too pleasurable. His back was bent over to its further and Bootstrap's head was dripping water as if he had just came back from out of the sea itself. This just had to speed up his process more to get the key and the chest.

Jack gulped again, "Any idea when Jones might release said terrible beastie?" Jack looked at the man of the sea in fright and Bootstrap rolled his eyes as his back straightened up. Jack followed with his back no longer being bent. He didn't realize before that he was stammering out his words.

"I already told you, Jack. The time is up." Bootstrap took Jack hand in. He rubbed his palm and Jack suddenly felt even more unusual than before. He looked down at his hand as Bootstrap removed his. "He comes now, drawn with ravenous hunger to the man who bears, the black spot." Jack's eyes widened even more as Bootstrap left him alone to go back to the _Flying Dutchmen._ The black spot looked as though it was eating through his skin, Jack closed his hand immediately looking around the cellar for Bootstrap, but he was nowhere to be found. Not good. This was not good.

* * *

Nicolette went toward the book and traced her hand on the cover, the book she had been reading five times already, she actually wanted to finish what she had started earlier that night as much as she hated it. How did it know? Nicky looked over the compass and snapped it shut, grazing her finger over the cover. "Interesting." Where did he get something like this? It led to what you wanted... she got up from the floor and straightened her nightgown. This was the strangest thing she had ever come by that Jack had. If they hadn't have a heading, what did that mean? As she placed the compass back on the desk, she heard a raspy voice yelling out in fright below deck.

She raised an eyebrow, "Jack?" What in the bloody hell was going on out there? His orders were muffled behind the door and Nicolette walked over to her long jacket and buttoned it in the middle to partly cover the nightgown. She walked out onto deck, slamming the cabin door behind her. Nicky's eyes widened only to be revealed a wild frenzy of every member of the crew to get this ship in movement.

Jack was at the mast, wrapping his hand in cloth to hide the Black Spot from wondering eyes of his crew. He shouted while doing this, "Run! And keep running! Run as if the devil himself and itself is upon us!" Nicky cocked a brow, she never heard Jack wail like that. It sounded like a scared child who was yelling out for his mum because he had just lost his blanket in the dark abyss of his bedroom

"What in the hell—?" She trailed off at a lost for words and tried walking to the mast to get to Jack, but found herself walking into many scurrying crew members to get this ship moving.

"Captain?" Gibbs' head swung around the mast and startled Jack turned around and yelped. He ignored it and asked, "Do we have a heading?"

Jack's eyes widened and he thought for a moment. "Land." He ducked back behind the mast, trying to hide himself from anyone that would like to see him. Gibbs bent down and swung his head to the other side, almost as startled as his Captain was. He never saw him like this. "Ah!"

"What port?" Jack got up from his bad hiding place and Gibbs straightened, looking at his Captain with concern.

"Didn't say port." Jack quickly stated and Nicky was slowly creeping over behind him. "I said land. Any land." Gibbs nodded unsure and Nicky tapped Jack's shoulder lightly. "Ah!" Jack swung around and almost jogged away from Nicolette who was looking at him like he had just lost all of his sanity. The only moment when he was proud of that monkey of Barbossa's occurred. He swooped down and got the hat with his skeleton showing slightly in the moonlight. He jumped onto the rigging and hissed at Jack. Jack hissed back at the bloody thing and then Jack the monkey threw the hat overboard.

"Jack's hat!" The crew all went on one side to look at the hat floating in the dark wood. The monkey smiled triumphantly, served him right for shooting at him earlier.

Nicky's eyes widened, Jack loved that hat. She shouted up to the helm, "Bring 'er about!"

"No!" Nicolette turned her head around to look at Jack in disbelief... did he just say that? The crew looked at him the same way. Jack looked between them and stated, "Leave it. R-Run." Jack hurried off and Nicolette's eyes followed him to see the man hide behind the staircase. She cocked a brow and the crew just stood frozen in place, gaping at what just happened.

Gibbs looked behind her and like them he was trying to contemplate what just had happened, he almost found himself speechless. "Back to your stations! The lot of ya!" The crew got out of their shocked states and scurried around the deck, hustling to get this ship moving. He nodded to Nicolette who stood at the mast bewildered and speechless to follow him to talk some sense or get some sense out of this.

"Jack," Nicolette started looking behind the staircase only to see Jack leaning against the wood of the ship, cowering in fear. He ignored her, she tried again, "Jack—."

"Shh!" Jack interrupted by hushing her.

"For the love of mother and child, Jack." Gibbs took after her, knowing Nicolette was already glaring him confused and spitefully. "What is after us?"

Jack looked at both Gibbs and Nicky. They could clearly see that whatever it was, it made him terrified. He lied, "Nothing." Nicolette looked tiredly at Gibbs and sighed, she knew it was a lie. She gestured toward him to go away and get to work. He nodded and walked away from them, but he kept Jack at the corner of his eye with a worried look.

Nicky stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest. "I know you're lying, Jack." Jack only looked at her and she rolled her eyes. She took him by the arm and dragged him into the cabin no matter Jack's nervous grumblings under his breath. She kept a hold on his arm as she shut the door. Nicky even locked them inside, just in case, she stayed in front of it. "Jack, what's going on?" She asked her tone was hushed, she had the feeling that Jack wouldn't want... whatever it was that was chasing them or happening to them to get out with his crew.

He answered, his voice was almost in squeal. "Nothing." She didn't believe him at all. Nicolette just looked at him and when her glare became too much for Jack to take he tried to break free from her grip. Surprisingly, the grip she had him under was strong. "I assure you, nothing is ri—." He looked up and cursed himself for mistaking the correct wording. Nicolette furrowed her eyebrows. Jack tried correcting himself, "nothing is wrong, love." He tried to make himself calm, but it was hard. He was never so nervous in his life. What if it came now? It had to be close, right? Maybe... might be... who knows... "I'm calm as cucumber, darling." He tried to smile and she narrowed her eyes into an easy glare.

"Right." She stated slowly and examined him for a moment. She looked at both of his hands, both were now covered. She was holding onto his left arm and stated examining his left hand, "You know, your left hand is bandaged."

Jack looked at her pointedly and shrugged, "Yeah, so?" He didn't realize what she was on to. But then he was shortly reminded that his spot wasn't on the other hand... it was on that one.

Nicolette continued to look at it skeptically and commented, "It wasn't like that before. You must've given yourself a nasty cut in all but a few hours, it covers your whole palm." Nicolette went to take his hand in hers with his palm up, Jack was getting nervous by the minute. "Let me have a—."

As Nicky went to unwrap his hand, Jack took it away, "No." He added rather childishly, "My hand." He held his hand close to him and Nicolette raised her eyebrow actually feeling a bit accomplished rather than upset and confused. Her suspicions along with her curiosity heightened to their highest.

She acted innocent to get it back. "Jack, I was going to clean it for you so it doesn't get infected. I'm only looking out for you." Nicolette stated pretending to feel taken back. She shrugged and added, "It kinda makes me think that you're hiding something from me." She looked at Jack waiting for a reaction and she looked at his hand. How he was holding it protectively, it was obvious that it wasn't just a gash on his palm. There wasn't even blood around the cloth to tell her otherwise. "Jack," she started slowly, Jack just gazed at her for a moment before she continued, "don't you trust me?"

Jack hesitated for a moment, he looked to his left then right making sure that no one is in there with them. She assured him, "I locked the door in case someone decides to be smart."

Jack sighed defeated and went to give her his hand, but before he did he stated, "Don't stare at it."

She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Someone's self conscience."

"Nicolette." her face became stone suddenly when she was called by her full name. It must be serious... Jack only called her Nicky if anything remotely close to her full name. His tone was urgent and she nodded slowly agreeing with him. Jack slowly gave her his hand and she unwrapped hesitantly the bandages.

When the bandage was coming closer and closer to unraveling, Nicky saw parts of black in the middle of his palm already. This wasn't a cut at all. It was almost like staring at something eating away at his hand. It was strange. She didn't do as Jack said. She traced her finger along the edge of the spot and looked up at him in disbelief. This wasn't here before. "Black spot. Jack, what sort of trouble did you get yourself into this time?"

* * *

_**I was going to add one of my favorite parts of the movie when the merchant sailors are fighting over Jack's hat and pretending to Captain, but I decided against it... lol. I hope you all liked the new chapter and hopefully I'll get to post again soon. New character, next chapter, but she won't be important really until like the end of the third one :) Give you more info about her next chapter. **_

_**Review? **_


	4. His Search and Deborah Sheppard

**_Hey, here's the next chapter :) Yeah, I know, early, really really really early, but lately I'm in the mood to write than doing something else and I was looking forward to writing this chapter. New Character! But she really isn't important... yet, not until later on in the series. We go back to see how Will and Christopher are getting on with their start to find Nicolette and Jack, but in doing so, one man is doing his absolute hardest, while the other is slacking off and finds himself with a bit of a distraction. You guys are probably going to hate Christopher even more by the next chapter... (I was watching several different things while writing this, like, Friends, Harry Potter (6), All About Steve (which partly gave me this idea, you know to make the story a bit interesting), and I was studying Macbeth and the curse about it... dun dun dunnnnnn! So if you see some references with those movies then, that's why)_**

**__**

Hope you enjoy this chapter! Sorry, no Nicolette and Jack in this chapter :( Hopefully they'll be in the next though :)

* * *

_Chapter Four: His Search and Deborah Sheppard_

Christopher waited patiently outside of the prison in Fort Charles, Will was taking his sweet time saying goodbye to that woman. He was no longer in his EITC uniform; he was in regular breeches and a shirt that was under a waist jacket. He had a black belt over it that holstered his pistol and sword. "This is ridiculous." He stated. He would never dive into the minds of people who thought that they were in love. They had to go. Christopher already got a ship to take them there, bartering passage on one of the merchant ships that was actually heading to where ever they wanted to go.

He tapped his foot to do something that seemed a little bit productive while waiting. The Captain gave him a specific time to get to the ship, too. He was becoming timid. Christopher went to go into the prison himself, but when he was about to step down the first step he stepped away seeing Will coming up the stairs quickly. Will's heart was breaking; it pained him to see Elizabeth behind bars like that. It was his entire fault. If he hadn't helped Jack escape… no, he shouldn't dwell upon that, he did it for his conscience and his friend… if it didn't happen, she would still be in Port Royal more miserable than she was before.

"About time." Christopher muttered as Will slammed the door behind him, "We got to go, now. I already bartered passage to where ever we needed to go and the ship is about to set sail without us." Will looked over at him and was shocked to see Chris in regular clothes instead of a uniform and a powdered wig. He actually looked like a… person, not that he did before; he just looked a bit clear-headed, not imprisoned. "What are you gaping at, Turner?" Chris looked at him like he had just grown ten heads.

Will shook himself out of it, "Nothing, you just look… different." He only looked down at himself and shrugged, he didn't feel or look different he thought. Will cleared his throat; this was going to be an uncomfortable, tension filled trip with him. He could feel it already. "How are you holding up?" He asked starting small talk with the man. He didn't seem happy when he had found out that his sister was involved with piracy, nevertheless that she was _with _a pirate.

He countered, "How would you hold up if you just found out that your sister is involved in acts of crime with a notorious pirate?" Will didn't answer him; obviously, based off his attitude he wasn't fond of the idea that she was in piracy. Judging by the silence, Christopher stated while walking off toward the docks, "Exactly."

Will slowly followed him and tried to catch up to the man's speed. Chris was walking fast and he looked around nervously as he walked past company members. He was probably the laughing stock of the company now. It was pathetic that his first mate that he trusted so much just… did something that was almost like a mutiny. Or maybe it was a mutiny. To him it was, when he would get his hands on O'Connor he swore to God, that he would be promptly put to his grave.

"You didn't have the slightest idea that she was with Jack?" Will asked him from behind, Chris rolled his eyes. How did people deal with this man? When Chris first met him, he thought Turner to be a well mannered and a gentleman that could be a good friend of his in the future. But now his perception was slowly changing into thinking that he was annoying, a bother, this just showed that this journey with him was going to be… interesting. The things he would do for his ship back.

"I'm sorry, I thought that we were past this subject already." He stated to him shortly, dancing around the subject. All he knew was that his sister was with _a_ Jack, but he didn't know that it was _that_ Jack, and how could he? He was told Jack was a merchant that followed the law, was Captain of the _Black Tide_ not the _Black Pearl _and that his surname was _Smith_ not _Sparrow._ But he had to admit, that Nicolette wasn't at all good at lying or at least being creative when it came to lying.

"Well, I was just wondering. Knowing Nicolette for a while I thought that maybe she would've told—." Christopher turned around sharply making Will almost bump into him. He had his hands on his hips annoyed by him and Will could tell that he was running low on patience at the moment.

"Listen to me, because I'm going to say this once and only once to you, got it?" He started and Will noticed a vein beginning to strain at the top of his forehead. Will nodded for him to continue, "I did know that she was with _a _Jack. She just lied about him. She told me his last name was Smith, he was a merchant sailor that followed the law," Will could almost chuckle at that. Nicolette went that far in the lie? "And that he was Captain of a ship called the _Black Tide, _not the _Black Pearl._" Nicolette wasn't as good of a liar as he thought.

All that Will came up with to say was, "Oh."

"Right, oh." Chris repeated and looked down at the ground, he now really felt like the fool. How could he fall for that so easily? He dealt with liars at trading ports all day, and he couldn't get past a lie that his sister told him? He shook his head, he would have to get over that or forget about it for now. He had bigger worries on his hands. Christopher looked back up at Will and inquired, "So, do we know where to start our search? You know them best."

Will nodded yes to him, "Tortuga."

"Tor-what-a?" Chris' eyes almost bulged out of his head and wasn't sure if he had heard correctly. Tortuga, the pirate port? The crazy, rum wrecking, pirate port? _Please, be somewhere else_, he pleaded.

But much to his disappointment, Will's voice repeated, "Tortuga." Well, this was going to be great...

* * *

The Captain of the ship wasn't really happy with their choice of port, but nevertheless, he took them there since there was a nice profit that he would receive from it. It took a day at least; Tortuga wasn't really that far from Port Royal like Christopher thought. It was something, adjusting back to just being a crew member, but he gotten the hang of things easily, it was like learning how to tie a boot after you had forgotten. Christopher thanked the Captain when they moored and stated that he would owe him one if they met again in the near future. He would've actually bought him a drink even though he didn't like alcohol, but the Captain disinclined.

Christopher stood at the end of the dock of the pirate port that he had heard tons of stories about when he was out at sea. He had to admit he thought it was going to be worse. But it was daylight, it probably was worst at night. "So," he started looking around his surroundings some more, "this is Tortuga." Will scrunched up his nose already smelling the rum soaked drunks passed out in the streets and prostitutes that didn't bathe after their last victim just yet. He nodded. "It doesn't seem that bad."

Will chuckled, standing next to Christopher. "You say that now, but wait until nightfall, you'll be begging me to let you leave."

"You never know, mate. This place is actually quite…"

"Interesting?" Will suggested, that was what Nicolette thought when she first came here. She thought it was so interesting that people actually lived like this. Christopher looked at him in disbelief and nodded. How did he know that? Will laughed, "You and your sister have something in common. That was what she thought when she first stepped off the ship onto here."

Christopher raised his brow, but acknowledged it. "Are you sure that we'll find them here?" Will shook his head no and Christopher looked over at him confused. "Then why are we here if we're not going to find them right away?"

"We'll get a lead most likely." Will stated simply, looking around for someone to question first. Christopher looked around as well and saw a group of women huddled by a entrance of a tavern. Christopher smirked mischievously as he looked at all of them. "Let's go, I think I found someone."

As Will went to walk away, Christopher stopped him with a hand on his shoulder his eyes never took his eyes off of the women. "You know," Will glanced behind his shoulder and Chris looked over at the man that he was holding back, "maybe it would be easier if we split up and do this. So we don't, you know, interrogate the same person and only get several locations instead of one set answer, you know what I mean?" Chris talked too fast for Will to comprehend what he just said, he wasn't sure if he could go by that smirk that was plastered on his face. And what Chris had said to him didn't make any sense at all, really.

"No, not at all." He stated to him honestly.

Christopher rolled his eyes, "Just meet me here at dawn and we'll see if we get a set answer on Jack and Nic's whereabouts." Will looked at him in disbelief as Christopher walked forward toward the group of women by the tavern. What just happened? Will shrugged off his confused expression and went toward a man who was who he was going to question earlier. It was too late to catch up to Christopher, he would just have to hope that those women that were by the tavern didn't know Jack or… _SLAP!_

A loud slap was heard and Will slowly took a look, hesitating, he was hoping that it wasn't Chris who had received that. But there he was, nursing his cheek while the women were walking away in almost like a clan going about their business elsewhere. Christopher felt a bruise developing on where the woman slapped him and the sting she left there was unbelievably still giving off the same intensity. He never gotten slapped by a woman before…

"You alright there, mate?" He heard a feminine voice behind him and hesitantly turned around to see a woman with blonde hair tied up in a bun and hidden behind a small tri-cornered hat. Her eyes were a soft brown and they were lightly lined with kohl. Christopher stopped rubbing his cheek and looked the woman up and down. The group that he saw huddled by the tavern was all in dresses and had makeup that was smeared. She had breeches with a pair of sailor boots. A long coat that made it past her knees with a white blouse under it. The woman had a belt that holstered her pistol and sword.

"Is there something on my face? Or do you have a staring problem?" The woman asked him and she smirked as Christopher had to snap out of it. He was actually handsome, not like any other pirates that resided in Tortuga, but she wasn't even sure that he was one. He wasn't exactly clean-shaven since he had a developing goatee. He seemed very well bathed and he didn't smell of rum or any other type of alcohol. "My name is Captain Deborah Sheppard, but please call me Debbie, and you are?" She extended her hand to him for him to take.

Christopher went to take her hand with a smile that can charm almost every woman, "_Captain,"_ he had to add the title in for his ego purposes, "Christopher _Brown,_" The Brown thing that could use some getting used to. He almost cringed using it.

"Ah, a Captain, too." She stated looking Christopher up and down. "Where's your ship?" She asked him with a smile. His just happened to drop. Oh, yeah, you needed a ship to be a Captain, right? He had one… well in his eyes he still did, but it was only temporary taken away from him, he'd get it back. No matter how that might happen. She smirked knowingly, "Ah, wait don't tell me." Christopher raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest waiting if this woman could get it right. "You're just telling me that because you think that you could impress me."

"Nope."

She still kept her smirk as she continued, "Your ship sank and you just like that Captain title in front of your name because it makes you feel more like a man even though you are a coward for letting it sink down to Old Hobb in the first place." He had developed a sheepish smile and shook his head no. Her smirk lessened, but nevertheless stayed there as she tried again, "Misplaced it in a cove and can't find it?"

Christopher chuckled to himself and said to her flirtatiously, "You sound unsure about that one."

"That's because that sounds very improbable to happen. But if it did, that's your business. But I do suggest that you should keep better track in your possessions."

He laughed, "If that was true I would make sure of that." Although it was sad to tell indeed he kept his smile and rubbed his chin while stating the truth, "I did lose my ship, though. My first mate is currently sailing it to who knows where." Her face dropped and she looked down feeling guilty, that was probably the worst thing that could ever happen to a Captain. Having their ship in the hands of someone else. Had to be heart breaking to experience.

"Wow, I'm so sorry, I can't imagine how bad that—."

Christopher waved it off and assured her, "Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault."

She nodded, "That's wrong with the code, you know?" She stated and Christopher raised his eyebrow, she thought that he was a pirate… Debbie looked at his confused smile and realized that he wasn't a pirate at all. He didn't even know the code. All pirates knew of the code or somewhat knew about it. "You're not a pirate, either, are you?"

"How did you—?"

"You don't know the code of the Brethren." Debbie stated to him and Christopher just looked at her for a moment. Her voice became hushed and she used a hand to mockingly cover her mouth with a small smirk developing. "I won't tell. And you don't have to tell me who you really are, unless you are a EITC wretch then I have to kill ya. But you don't seem to be the type." Christopher laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Too bad that he was the type. He didn't have to mention it to her.

He didn't admit that he was one to her; it didn't need to concern her. Probably by tomorrow, he would forget about this woman… this very attractive woman. _Will seemed focused enough finding Jack and Nic, maybe it would be okay if I just… _he shook that thought out of his head, no, he had to do this not fool around with a girl he just met. Christopher looked at Debbie and stated to her, "Do you know a certain man by the name of Jack Sp—."

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow." She corrected him. Did she know him? Yeah, she knew _of _him not actually seeing the man. Debbie heard that he was dead, most likely a rumor, which is all that she had heard of the man, oh, and his reputation with women, which suddenly stopped because of one lass. "Don't know him, but I know _of _him. Notorious pirate that man is."

Chris couldn't help but scoff at that, "Yeah, I know." That didn't help him at all. "I'm looking for the man, he's with my sister."

Debbie smirked and chuckled, "Oh, so that's why you gotten yourself slapped before by those local whores, since that man wasn't a free Sparrow any longer those women became a clan against those that are associated with the man."

Christopher raised his eyebrow and inquired, "Whores?"

"Aye whores. You didn't know?" Christopher slowly shook his head no at her and she laughed at him. She thought that it was obvious? This was definitely oblivious to these sorts of things. "I thought that was quite obvious."

"Not to me, I guess." Christopher chuckled and smirked at her, "But, anyway, _if _you had heard of him than do you perhaps know of his whereabouts, hopefully current?"

"Last I heard of him, he was at Fort Charles found guilty and ready to be hanged…" she trailed off trying to remember the rumor, "but then fought his way through hundreds of soldiers, single handedly, also. Then grabbed two parrots that were flying in the air," Christopher rolled his eyes, this was ridiculous, "and flew off the cliff a year ago."

Christopher pursed his lips annoyed, that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard! Plus that wasn't current, that was over a year ago. "That's quite the story, too bad, that's too ridiculous to ever happen." She nodded in agreement and he added, "Well, do you know of a Nicolette Brown, perhaps?"

Heard of her, too. Heard that she was with Sparrow, his new partner in crime. Never met her. Debbie nodded her head, "Know _of_ her. Heard that she was in Madagascar, running away from an oaf that was twice her size threatening to kill her. But she had a smile on her face and money jiggling in her pocket as she were running thinking that she was successful in her 'little' pickpocket."

At least that answer seemed straight, but how long ago was that? Probably not that recent, but unlike the story Debbie had given him like she did with Sparrow. He asked her curiously, "And how long ago was that?"

Debbie thought back to when her first mate told her that story, might have been a few months ago, six at the least. "Six months ago, at the very least." Christopher's hope was crushed and his shoulders slumped, this search was hopeless already. Hopefully, Will was doing better than him. Highly doubted. Christopher groaned and Debbie looked at him with her eyebrow cocked, "You seem stressed."

He looked up into her brown eyes and asked her, "What gave it away?"

"You need to relieve some of that, me thinks." She stated to him and lent out a hand for him to take. "Let's get a drink on me." Christopher really shouldn't, since he didn't drink at all and he had to continue his search seeing that she was no help at all. Debbie was a little taken back by the silence he was leaving her in. "Usually when someone like me offers to buy a drink for someone like you, most men here would jump at the chance."

Christopher hesitated replying as her hand retreated back at her side, "I usually would, seeing that you're a beautiful woman that I would like to—," Debbie took a step forward with a slight smirk and her hands behind her back. Beautiful? Well, he wasn't being forward at all with her. Christopher paused thinking of a better excuse; "I just need to find my sister and Sparrow as soon as possible."

"It'll only be one." Her voice was persuasive and she was biting her lip in hope that he would say yes. Chris looked down at the ground for a moment; well just one drink wouldn't be that long. "Just one."

"One, and that's it." He stated offering his arm to lead her into the tavern. Debbie raised her brow, she wasn't used to this. He was acting like a gentleman. But she laid a hand onto the small of his arm, assuming that was what she should do. Chris smirked and as he spoke his mind hinted his mischievous acts that occurred when it came to women, "Shall we?"

* * *

"Jack Sparrow?" A man by the shore who was sunburned started to Will who had started his search an hour ago. He had no luck at all. "Owes me four doubloons. Heard he was dead."

"Singapore. The two of 'em drunk, with smiles on their faces." The fisherman was tying a lure as he spoke, "Sure as a tide. Nicolette Brown and Jack Sparrow will end up in Singapore."

"Jack Sparrow." Giselle started, advancing toward Will. This was the second time that she was asked this today.

Scarlett was next to her, sitting on a barrel, "Haven't seen him in a month. Still with that whore, Brown, I reckon."

Giselle smiled innocently and walked closer to Will, "When you find him can you give him a message?" Before Will could answer, a hard slap from her landed on his cheek. He felt the redness settle on it already as his face was sent to the other side. He would gladly give that message to Jack when he would see him.

* * *

"Okay. Years ago, I was backpacking across Western Europe." Christopher was going on about a made-up story he just conjured up after having several drinks at the bar and then having a lot more in the cabin of the , Debbie's ship. They somehow ended up going there drunk, the ship was deserted, and only the two of them were aboard since every member of her crew stay in Tortuga having the time of their lives. Debbie slept aboard her ship during those days.

She laughed, he didn't look like the sort of man to be a hiker, "Backpacking, eh? You don't seem to be the type."

"I'm full of surprises, darling." Christopher chuckled as he used his hands to explain to her what had happened that supposed day. "I was just outside Barcelona hiking in the foothills of Mount Tribidabo."

"Tribidabo?" Christopher nodded as he went for his glass of wine that was on the desk he was sitting by. He went from rum to wine, but he consumed more rum and that rum at the tavern was strong. She added, "Never heard of it."

"Ever been to Spain?" He asked suddenly with his words cluttering on top of them. She thought about it and shook her head no. He chuckled as he took a sip of his wine. "That's why. Now, I was at the end of this path and I came to a clearing and there was a lake, very secluded. And there were trees all around." His tone became nothing but a whisper and he was Debbie listening very intently to the little tale, "It was dead silent. Gorgeous. And across the lake I saw…" He lingered on it for a moment to see if she was paying attention.

"You saw what?" She inquired in anticipation.

He continued, his eyes going soft, "A beautiful woman… bathing herself… but, she was crying…"

Debbie's face softened and she asked, "Why?"

"She didn't say, she just looked at me. Her chest bare, her eyes still shedding tears. I walked toward her, slowly, in just pure curiosity and…"

"And…" She was listening so intently this whole time she scooted on her small cot and patted the area next to her for him to sit down.

Christopher only smiled sheepishly and sat down next to her, looking into her soft brown eyes. His words barely slurred now, but he was still drunker than ever. He never was drunk before, it was interesting how it just happened suddenly, might be because of the atmosphere he was in. His smile dropped as he continued for her, "And… poof. She was gone. Disappeared in front of my very eyes."

Debbie narrowed her eyes at him, "Poof?"

"Aye, poof." He confirmed, but Debbie didn't seem convinced by it at all. Chris looked at her sincerely, "After that day, I hiked back to that very place to see if she was there. But the woman was gone, there's not a day that I don't wonder about her and why she was crying." He sighed and looked down into his lap. Debbie cleared her throat and laid her head on Chris' shoulder, her hair was down and Christopher found that it was really long. It reached to almost her waist. He stroked it as she took a swig out of her bottle.

"That's how life is, I guess, everything just goes…" she trailed off, taking another swig of her rum.

"Poof?" Chris offered.

"Yes, poof."

Christopher changed the subject while stroking her hair and looking at the dark doors of her cabin, "Do you believe in witchcraft, dear?" Debbie looked up at him with her eyebrow raised. She shook her head no while her head was still on his shoulder. "I don't know if I do either. You know of Macbeth? That Scottish Play some may call it?"

She took another swig of rum before continuing, "I'm not a fan of Shakespeare and that's his darkest and most tragic play, I heard. But what does that have to do with witchcraft, I wonder?" She looked forward at her cabin's doors. She wasn't _as _drunk as Christopher was at the moment, Debbie almost knew that he had trouble holding down his liquor. "I feel a story coming on, actually." This was the fourth story he had told her, none of them were dry, although probably to other people they would be ridiculous to hear. Like 'backpacking on Mount Tribadabo.'

Christopher laughed as he nodded, "I knew a man once, he was twice my age. Met him in Amsterdam, he told me after King James I banned the murdurous play from England something had stirred. You see, everyone believed that this play was cursed, being the only play that actually involved witches casting spells and all, and for those who scoffed and stated, 'I don't believe in that curse, witches ain't real.' Of course, he didn't believe in it, at first, as well. Do you know what the opening words of that play is?" Debbie shook her head no as he continued stroking her hair, he never stopped.

"'Round around the caldron go; In the poison'd entails throw. Toad, that under cold stone days and nights has thirty-one swelter'd venum sleeping got. Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.'"

"That sounded beautiful." She stated, she never understood his language, really. Her father read Julius Ceasar to her before, but she never gotten past the first couple of words without furrowing her eyebrows and asking, 'what did he say?'

"Beatiful, yes, but sinful as well. That was the curse, the punishment of all actors that acted in the play, but didn't at all believe in it. This man, he acted in it, only as Ross. A rather insignificant character who was really a messenger of the King. I remembered how he look when he told me this. He looked scared like the curse was following him. He replaced a daggar with a real one, the one that was a prop broke a little before. The director told him, too. But I didn't believe he did at all, since real weaponry like that shouldn't be on stage at all. That night, a character was supposed to die like many others that Shakespeare wrote to die, but he was accidently, stabbed. Right in front of everyone in that audience."

She picked up her head and her eyes bulged, "You're lying."

"I am not, that really happened." She looked at him in disbelief and she looked forward at the door, "Sorry, not the right story for a lovely lady like yourself."

She chuckled and turned to him, "You scarred me from acting in plays for life, now. Hope your happy about that."

He smirked, "My goal."

Debbie laid her head on his shoulder once again. He wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to his body. She muttered, closing her eyes, alcohol always made her tired, "But I don't understand how we went from backpacking across Europe and a woman going poof to a man who replaced a dagger with a real one and killing a man because the play was-."

"_Is_." Chris corrected, taking the rum bottle out of her hands and taking his own swig out of it. "It still _is_ cursed. I am sure of it."

She giggled and picked up her head off of his shoulder, "Whatever you say." Debbie looked toward the rum and back into Christopher's eyes, they were brown like hers. She thought that they held a lot of secrets about himself in them, but she just couldn't dive into them, too much depth. When Christopher was staring into her light brown orbs, he found himself slowly leaning in, going ninety nine percent of the way, waiting for her to go to close it. She smirked and seeing his eyes slowly close and her's did as well. She gently kissed his lips and when Christopher added more force into it, she felt her body descend onto the sheets she was sitting. The rum bottle fell softly on the ground.

**_I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter! And yeah, Deborah is the new character, if you didn't figure it out. She's not really main, but in the others in the series she will be :) Should be interesting when morning comes for Chris, don't you think? The backpacking across Western Europe was in Friends, and when they were like 'poof' that was in Harry Potter when that professor, who I always forget the name of ,gets drunk, and if you saw It's All About Steve... you probably know what might happen after this... And that Macbeth story... is actually really true... I learned it in school today and it really creeped me out. Lol. So anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! _**

**_Review?_**


	5. The Bloody Whelp and His Lackey

_**Hey! I tried to get this chapter earlier, but I had issues with my computer :( But I fixed it! So I put on some inspirational music and my hat that I don't know why helps me write faster, and then tada! So I hope you all enjoy, it's interesting, definitely, but short. I was going to write more, but I thought where I ended it was okay. This is the beginning of my favorite part of the movie :) Hope you all like it!**_

_**Review replies:**_

_**ERB: Haha, thanks! I hope you enjoy the other chapters when you have time to read them :)**_

* * *

_Chapter Five: The Bloody Whelp and His Lackey_

Christopher woke up from the sunlight shining into the cabin. His eyes slowly opened and he tried to pick up his head from the pillow he was on, but quickly forced his head back down feeling a strong headache make its way. "What happened?" He groaned, sitting up while rubbing his eyes to make his vision less blurry. He looked around the cabin, it didn't at all look familiar. He tried to think about yesterday… last he remembered was being at the tavern, with this woman. She bought him a drink… it was strong. Who was that woman?

He looked over to where the other side of the mattress sank, his eyes widened. Oh… dear. "Deborah." He whispered her name under his breath, her blonde hair flared onto the pillow while her body heaved up and down from her steady breathing. She didn't stir the slightest. He looked around the cabin some more and saw on the desk with her charts was a half glass of wine. This was part of the reason why he didn't drink. Christopher looked over at Deborah who was still sleeping soundly next to him, her body was bare, there was no clothing covering her at all and the sheets was barely clinging onto her body. All that was holding onto it, was her dainty hand.

Out of instinct, he checked his ring finger making sure that he wasn't drunk enough to even make that slightest mistake. No ring. Thank God. Christopher gotten out of bed and as quietly as he could he got dressed with the clothes that were sprawled on the floor. He wasn't that quiet at all, seeing that she had stirred a little bit from the noise. As Chris buckled his belt and holstered his sword and pistol that had somehow made their way out of their holsters, he never took her eyes off of her. She was probably as drunk as him, probably wouldn't even remember him or what had happened last night. But she was going to wake up in the nude… obviously she would have some sort of idea.

He walked over to her side of the coat and saw that she was still sleeping peacefully like she was before he had gotten out of her bed. He crouched down and stroked her blonde hair that was partly tucked behind her ear. "Hopefully I won't see you ever again." He muttered, this was what he did. Leave right away. Whatever happened last night, no doubt that it meant that it could get further from there, he couldn't do it. She moaned lightly and smiled, his heart dropped.

Christopher quickly removed his hand from her hair and without a word he left the cabin immediately and quietly. He had to meet Will at the… Oh God… he had absolutely no leads about their whereabouts. Christopher looked out onto the deck of the woman's ship. No one was on board, great, no eye-witness seeing him leaving the ship.

* * *

"There you are." Will turned around, he was asking about Jack and Nicolette to a shrimper who was untangling his netting. "Have you find anything last night?" His voice was full of hope and he smiled showing it. Christopher only frowned, he didn't want to talk about anything last night, in his eyes, last night didn't ever happen. He shook his head no. Will looked down disappointed, but didn't comment on it.

"What about this mate? Did you ask him?" Christopher inquired, looking at the Haitian man that was sitting on the barrel with his netting tangled. Will shook his head no and before Christopher could let him answer he did it fast, wanting to get out of this place as soon as possible. "You, sailor." The man only looked up at Christopher, gesturing for him to continuing. "Do you happen to know where a Jack Sparrow is? Captain of the _Black Pearl_?"

"Jack Sparrow?" His voice held a thick accent, Christopher and Will both nodded in unison for him to continue. "Cannot say about Jack." Christopher rolled his eyes, his hope crashed along with Will's whose hands went onto his hips. They needed more straight answers, easy to follow answers. He focused back on tangling his rope as he continued, "But dere's a island, just south of dere's straits, where I trade spice for…mmm… delicious long pork." The man snapped his attention back to them, "Cannot say about Jack. But you will find a ship there. A ship with black sails"

* * *

Will looked through the spyglass, seeing that the _Black Pearl_ was definitely on the island. Christopher looked at the ship, what island was this? Will took the spyglass away from his eye and handed it to the man that brought them here. "My brother will take you to shore."

Christopher and Will got into the long boat that the man's brother sat in opposite of them. "Do you think anyone would be aboard it?" He asked, it seemed deserted almost. They had to be on that island, if they weren't on that island then where would they? Will looked over at him with an eyebrow cocked, "It seems deserted."

He shrugged and looked forward as the man started rowing to the shore. "Most likely. We might as well take a risk and see if there are." Christopher nodded and stayed silent as the boat gently rocked along with the waves. They stayed silent, Christopher was in deep thought about how he would do this. Walk up to her and state, 'I'm taking you back to Port Royal where you won't do any piracy and that man could be condemned for being a pirate?' How would that go? Not good, really. How about, he would walk up to her, smile, then break a glass bottle over her head and somehow take her to Port Royal with him? That would not be subtle at all. He hoped that Will didn't fail this, but already, he seemed like he was going to.

The brother of the man stopped rowing and laid the oar across his lap. Christopher looked up at the man in disbelief. The shore was right there. "What's wrong?" Christopher asked him, looking him up and down. "The shore is right there."

The man spoke a different language to him and Will, "Ne bougeais pas, c'est trop dangereux." French. He spoke French. Well, that was just perfect. Will looked over at Christopher who was rolling his eyes at him. This was just what he needed. He knew French, but not well enough to interpret that.

"What?" Will asked looking at the man. What did he just say? They had to get to shore, neither of them had time to interpret what this man just said. He looked over at Chris and asked, "Do you know what he just said?"

Christopher just shook his head no. "It's French. I'm not fluent in the language." He looked at the man in annoyance and asked him, "Do you speak English?" The man shook his head no, Chris rolled his eyes. Obviously, he did if he knew what he was saying, "I don't believe you, mate. Please repeat that in _our_ language."

The man looked back at the beach then at them. "Je ne parle pas anglais, mais je ne peux pas, c'est trop dangereux, je dis." Christopher shook his head aggravated and abruptly stood up in the long boat, bringing Will up with him. The man looked up at them and stated, "Bon voyage, monsieur." With that, the two men jumped off the long boat and swam toward the island.

* * *

"Jack!" Will shouted as he emerged on shore. He had his hand on his sword as he walked towed the _Black Pearl._ His clothes were drenched from head to toe. There was no answer from anybody aboard the _Pearl_. Probably didn't hear him. He tried again, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Jack Sparrow!" Still… there was nothing. Not even a faint shout off from the distance. The island that seemed peaceful was quiet. "Nic! Marty! Cotton!"

Nothing.

Will walked and stopped at the jungle that acted like a border. "Anybody?"

Christopher slowly came up behind, looking at the black ship that was staked there. "Any luck?" Will glanced behind his shoulder and shook his head no before turning forward. "Are you sure that that is his ship?"

Will looked over at Christopher and nodded. "It's the only ship in the Caribbean with black sails." Will continued on and Chris turned his head to look at the antique looking ship with awe. How did a pirate come across that ship? It was definitely elegant. Christopher turned his head back forward and saw that Will was a good distance away from him, but he halted looking toward something. Christopher raised his eyebrow and before catching up he took another look at the black ship skeptically. Then he walked forward to catch up the man.

With a smile and finally recognizing who that parrot was, Will stated, "Ah, a familiar face!" Christopher came up to his side and noticed that it was a parrot, he was blue and had a yellow mark on the small of his chest. It was a bird. How in the bloody hell was this supposed to help them?

"How in the bloody hell is a goddamn parrot going to help us find them?" He asked, eying the parrot confused. It was a bloody parrot, there twenty million others probably like that one hanging on that branch. This island might even have twenty of them.

Will stated to Chris while looking at the bird, "It's Cotton's parrot. I could recognize it anywhere I go."

The parrot squawked to them, "Don't eat me!" The two raised their eyebrows at the parrot hanging there. They weren't going to eat him, why would they?

Will said what they were both thinking, "I'm not going to eat you." The bird squawked the same thing and then fluttered away with his feathers trailing behind him. Will looked a bit taken back while Christopher couldn't take his eyes off of where the bird was. _Dangereux__: Dangerous._ That was the only clear word that he had caught from the man who rowed them over here. That was why, wasn't it? Christopher eyes widened, but why would this island be dangerous...

He ignored that thought and asked to Will as they continued on, "Did you try to roast that bird last time you saw him?" Will ignored him, stopping at a canteen that was on a tree, Gibbs? Christopher's voice came back into hearing, "My humor is that dry?"

Will snapped out of his focus on the canteen that he was holding in his hand. He looked back at Christopher with his eyebrow raised, "I beg your pardon, I didn't hear that." Christopher sighed and waved it off. He walked next to Will and saw the canteen in his hand. "It's Gibbs'." He stated, looking back at it. Attached to it, there was a string that led to something deep in the jungle. It was a trail. Will let go of the canteen to go for the string and with his hands, holding the twine with two fingers, he followed it.

Christopher grabbed hold of the canteen, examining it as well, he opened it and smelled the remains of rum. He turned it upside down and only a single drop made its way out of the mouth of the canteen. It was empty. Chris' head snapped up and he tried to stop Will, "Will, I don't think—." He was hushed right away. He groaned, but followed Will to make sure that he didn't get into any trouble. How little did he know that it was too late.

Will found the end of the twine and cross-examined it. It didn't lead to anything... just another tree. In a flash, Will felt a rope loop around his foot. Christopher's eyes widened as Will was being hanged upside down. Before he could even think about doing something, he felt both his arms being pulled behind him. Around Will and Chris, dark men who were in clothes that were made all from the environment making them blend in, surrounded them.

Christopher grew wide-eyed, forgotten the reason why he came in the first place. He struggled in their hold, "Let go!" Will unsheathed his sword as the other men that weren't holding Christopher back advanced toward him. Will tried to hit them with his sword as Christopher rolled his eyes. This man's perseverance was actually more than his. He stopped struggling and watched as a dart flew into Will's neck, sending him to sleep.

* * *

"This is ridiculous." Nicolette muttered under her breath as the drums around her drowned it. Her eyes were closed as the women painted her face in a pattern that was unknown. Somehow, Jack knew their language and convinced the men and women that she, as well, was a goddess and now... she was to be eaten. Very nice. Bravo. Nicky was given specific orders not to speak at all and ruin Jack's chief persona. She huffed annoyed, but tried her best to keep straight face as the natives around them pounded their drums.

Drums. The once joyous instrument only played during celebration or relief, now indicated death on certain occasion. Their life would end, when the drums stop. When she felt the women stop painting on her, she opened her eyes, seeing people dance around like they were savages with their painted masks. She was nervous, yes, afraid, no. They were going to somehow get out of this, she knew, but how? She wish she knew that, the crew had been locked away in cages of bones that were the remains of... some others including _their_ crew.

She glanced over at Jack, who sat there calm as ever. He didn't show it in his eyes, which he had many of at the moment, didn't show it in the wrinkles of his forehead, or even the curl of his upper lip, which sometimes went up when he was nervous, worried, or saw something disgusting. At the moment, Nicolette hated him. And who wouldn't? It was _his_ fault that she and the crew were even in this! She tried not to grit her teeth just thinking about it and looked forward with the best poker face that she could muster.

Beyond the bridge, Nicky saw faintly four natives marching in an almost perfect line holding poles that were trailing behind them. She couldn't see what or who were dangling upon them, but she did happen to see a pair of boots that were on either end of the two poles. They had to have captured someone new... or two people that were new. When the four men with the poles came up to their throne, her eyes widened with realization to one of the most conscience people that were dangling on the bamboo that acted like poles.

The other man picked up his head, regaining energy and slowly fluttered his eyes open to see the two figures in front of them. "Will." Nicolette muttered his name under her breath and gulped loudly as the drums abruptly stopped. By the loud gulp, Jack opened his eyes revealing his real pair and looked over at Nicky in disbelief. The bloody whelp? The bloody whelp that they hadn't seen or heard of for a year (and thank God)? Why in the hell was she mentioning him now?

"Jack? Nic?" Oh... dear. He was here. Jack looked away from Nicky to face the whelp, his eyes rolling. "Jack, I can honestly say that I am happy to see you!" Jack's eyes narrowed at him, now of all bloody times the eunuch decided to make an appearance in front of him?

"Nic?" Jack's eyes focused on the other man with him. Who was this? His lackey? And why was he calling Nicky? Jack looked over at Nicolette who was slowly turning her head away from the unknown to Jack and stared up at the light blue sky, ignoring him. Christopher just looked at her for a moment with his eyebrow cocked, "Nic? It's me! Your brother!" She still didn't acknowledge him. Jack now understood, so this was the beloved brother that she never mentioned and hoped day and night to not see.

Jack stood up, smacking Nicolette lightly upside the head to pay attention like a good chieftess that he wanted her (for now) to be. Nicolette glared at him as he walked toward the two men that were dangling on the poles of bamboo. Christopher looked at the man then at his sister to make sure that their eyesight were seeing the same thing. This man was without a doubt insane, and Christopher knew that from only taking in one look from the man, he didn't even say a word yet to.

Before addressing the native who was carrying Christopher, he patted Will's shoulder, in a way to make sure how much meat was on his bones, but, really, it was to see that he was in fact not dreaming. To his disappointment, he wasn't. Will raised an eyebrow and watched as Jack went to address one of the men that captured them. "Jack? It's me! Will Turner!"

Christopher rolled his eyes, tired of hearing Will's voice and his patience level running on a fine string, he asked him under his breath, "Do you ever shut up?" Will, hearing it, glared at Christopher who was doing nothing but hanging there, staring at the man that was having him in the corner of his eye. _Smart man,_ Jack thought to himself.

"Wa say kohn?" Jack spoke in a language that the two had no idea on what type it was. They looked at each other then at him. Nicolette kept a straight face, but never took her eyes off her brother. What was he doing here? Here, of all places. And with Will? No matter how much she would like to speak, she had to bite her tongue.

They actually understood him. The larger man he was addressing answered in the same language. "Eein dad, iseepee." The natives all bowed down their heads to him and repeated what the larger man said.

Will barked an order to Jack, realizing that Jack spoke the same language as them, "Tell them to let us down!"

Jack ignored him and examined the two men before, "Kai lay lom. Lom picky picky. Lom eencie-weencie." Jack ducked under and looked at their backsides, then stood up while Christopher was left with his eyebrow cocked. Was Jack Sparrow always this confusing? Was this in fact _the _Jack Sparrow? Nicolette for some reason, knew what Jack's next words were, "Lom say say, eunuchies." She rolled her eyes, but tried her best for not laughing, making a little noise in the process. The cannibals looked confused for a moment before he made a little hand motion like scissors. "Snip snip."

Jack glanced behind his shoulder, giving Nicky a short glance telling her to keep quiet and let him do all the talking. She nodded, getting the point and tried not to make any noises as the cannibals awed, understanding fully. Jack tried not to smirk for proving his point to them and then turned back to make way toward his thrown.

"Jack!" Will's voice was once again in everyone's hearing, he had to get the compass! He looked and saw it dangling on his waist belt, his eyes widened. "The compass! That's all I need, Elizabeth's in danger!" Nicolette transferred her gaze back to Will, Elizabeth? Now, why did that girl always seem to be getting into trouble? She gaped for a moment slightly as he continued, "We were arrested for trying to help you. She faces the gallows!" Jack stopped at the empty seat of his throne. Was she now? Interesting.

He turned on his heel and sauntered back over to the large man he ordered before. He ordered quickly, "Seiserom shup shup sha smame mame shuku, savvy?" All everyone around him caught was 'savvy'. Not at all in the native's vocabulary. Everyone raised their eyebrow and Jack sighed. He waved the two men off, clarifying, "Mo liki liki."

The large man in response raised up his spear to the heavens and shouted out, "Mo liki liki!" The men and even some women around them cheered, more food for them to enjoy their dinner later, "Mo liki liki!" The drums started to pound again as Jack swung around to Will's side while the tribe chanted, "Boom sha boom, boom sha boom."

Jack whispered to Will, making it unnoticeable to the tribe around them, "Save us." Will looked at him confused and Christopher hearing that rolled his eyes. _The things I do for my ship_, he thought to himself before being taking away. What did he tell them? They weren't going to be let go. "Jack!" Will called out as the men were taking them away.

Chris yelled out after him, "What did you tell them?"

Will took his own coarse of questions, "What about Elizabeth?" Christopher rolled his eyes once more, he would think about her when they were about to go to wherever they were going. "Jaaack!"

"Nic!" Christopher called out, but it was too late to retrieve his sister's attention, who was ignoring him earlier. She only now heard him from a faint distance.

Jack swaggered to his thrown and sat next to Nicolette looking forward as the men were starting to place wood on top of each other to prepare for their roasting. She just witnessed her worst nightmare. Why did he come? Her lie... she remembered it clearly as though it had happened yesterday. Jack Sparrow, would be very upset when he would find out that he was Jack Smith. And the _Black Pearl,_ if it were alive, would be upset to find out that it was to be the _Black Tide._

"Chris." She said his name shocked and in disbelief, did that really just happen? Maybe the situation that just happened was a hallucination. Jack looked over at her and saw that she was becoming pale, looking like she had saw a ghost from her past. Nicky never took her eyes off of where her brother used to be, she wasn't sure how to react. Joyous? Confused? Angry? Worried? She stated to Jack, ignoring the fact that her brother was there a few moments ago, "We're doomed."

"Are we now?" Jack retorted under his breath, crossing his legs one over the other. "I haven't noticed. Let's just hope those two whelps will help us in our dooming moment."

Nicky looked over at him in disbelief, "You asked _them_ to save us? Now, we're really doomed. They are going to be hanged in bone cages." She looked back forward to see the natives pounding the drums still, in a effort to hurry them for their meal Nicky and Jack were to present them.

Jack stated, taking her hand with his and slightly closed his eyes like he was relaxed, "We're never doomed, love. We'll get out of this... somehow." He made a face, for once he was unsure of himself, but he would get a plan, he knew. But, when? That was the issue.

Nicky looked back at him and stated, "And yet, that doesn't settle my thoughts at all."

* * *

_**Interesting reaction that Nicolette had seeing her brother with Will. I don't think this trip is going to go well at all, do you? So here was the update, like I said, it's short, but I thought that it was a good idea to end it off here. Hopefully I'll be able to update very soon. **_

_**PS: Birthday is in twelve days! :) Turning 16, very excited!**_

_**Review?**_


	6. Divine Providence Inspiring Cleverness?

_**Wow, sorry, I tried to write this chapter so much faster, but I don't know I had a hard time toward which I should add to my favorite scene. I made a sacrifice and it was paining me as I reread this... but I hope you enjoy it! Lol, 7 more days, excited, can't come any sooner, lol! Had a lot of fun writing this chapter :)**_

* * *

_Chapter Six: Divine Providence Inspiring Cleverness? _

Christopher and Will found themselves in cage of bones that was dangling off of a bridge above them. How could he do this to them? Will didn't understand, he thought that Jack would at least give him the compass and then let him go. Not leave him to dry and starve. Who were they? Their dinner? Gibbs looked at Christopher questionably holding onto an old crew member's bone. "Who are you?" He asked him looking him up and down. Christopher's head snapped up and pointed to himself to make sure the graying man was talking to him.

Gibbs nodded and Christopher held onto the bones and watched his step while going toward him. "I'm Christopher, Christopher Brown. Nic's brother." Her brother? She never mentioned of a brother. The three members of the crew that were in the same cage as him looked at him in disbelief. Nic had a brother. Christopher felt awkward feeling their many stares and felt like he shrunk before them. "Is there something wrong with that?" He asked nervously, did they know that he was a part of the EITC? If they had then that meant his cover was blown in the matter of seconds.

The smaller one that was a third of his size answered, "No, n-not at all." Christopher looked at him not believing a word of that.

But then, Gibbs finished for him, "She just... hadn't mentioned to us that she even had one." Christopher's face dropped, she didn't mention it all? Not even a name? Gibbs waved it off and stated when his own shock passed, "Nice to meet you, anyway." He extended his free hand toward the supposed brother of Nicolette Brown. "The name's Gibbs." He flashed a small smile and Christopher frowning from not being relieved of his own shock, shook it anyway.

Will changed the subject quickly, looking out onto the trench they were hanging over. "Why isn't he doing something?" Will gripped the bone to keep his support as he stood in the cage. Gibbs' attention went to Will who was gritting his teeth annoyed that they were even involved in this. Elizabeth could be hanging right now for all he knew, he had to get this done. "If Jack's the chief—."

"Aye, Jack's the chief." Gibbs stated interrupting Will's misinterpretation of their situation. "But he only remains chief as long as he _acts_ like a chief." Christopher raised his eyebrow and came in between the man named Gibbs and a man who seemed to be quiet and had a beard that was a mixture of gray and white.

Christopher commented, "Then that makes him only to be a captive like the rest of us."

Gibbs nodded, "You see, the Pelegostos believe that Jack is a God in human form. So, they intend on doing the honor of releasing Jack from his fleshy prison." Cotton decided to demonstrated by taking Christopher's hand and biting it, but before he could Christopher snatched it back immediately before he could even bite it. Will frowned getting the jest of it now, "They'll roast him and eat him."

"I'm guessing, then, that my sister will be roasted and eaten like him?" Chris inquired looking at Gibbs who only looked down grimly and nodded. Well, that left him with a even more discomforting thought than never being mentioned.

Will sighed and looked around to see that there was really only ten people that were in cages dangling from the bridges above. "Where's the rest of the crew?" Christopher took a look around as well, seeing that the number of people didn't seem at all the amount of people to crew a ship at all.

"These cages we're in? Weren't built until after we got here." Chris examined his hand and all of a sudden felt dirty touching the remains of people. Will reacted the same way and he wiped his hand on his breeches, but held onto the bones anyway, realizing that it was their only support in the cages. Gibbs then stated grimly while looking into the sky, "Both their lives will end... when the drums stop."

"Then there's no time to waste." Christopher commented. The crew looked at him like he was daft, what were they to do hanging there? Chris gulped suddenly feeling nervous, "I mean, we can't just stay in here while they roast them, now can we?" Will looked at him curiously, almost as if reading his mind. Think like Jack, he had told himself. The rope. The cages. The edges on the cliffs. He contemplated a plan that was both of brilliance and madness.

* * *

Nicolette just stared out onto the natives who were collecting firewood for the feast that was to take place. Her face didn't change at all, didn't even show the slightest amount of fear and nervousness of being eaten by cannibals. Around her eyes there was a dark green that was painted with white and brown spots on certain places on her face. Her face mask wasn't as intricate as Jack's was, it was more plainer than his. Just shows that they appreciated males in their tribe more than women. Two tribal women brought a necklace of toes around her and Jack's neck. She looked down at it with a scowl and tried not to show her disgust look toward it.

Jack looked down at his and picked up the big toe that was in the middle. Nicky glanced only to find him actually tasting the large toe that he was holding in between his fingers. She looked at him in disbelief and couldn't help but ask softly, "Is that... at all tasty?" Jack made a face and spat out what Nicky thought to be a nail. He dropped the toe necklace from his hand.

"Not that bad, really." He admitted to her and Nicky rolled her eyes facing back toward the natives building the fire still. Jack watched as well, trying to gain an idea hopefully sometime soon. So far, no luck at all. But they seemed focus on that fire, very focused. Interesting... "Hold tight, darling." Jack muttered to Nicky. She looked over at him raising her eyebrow as he stood up quickly walking to the natives. "No, no! Not big enough!" He shouted at the people and they all turn their heads to look a their chief.

Nicolette rolled her eyes, what was he trying to do? She was perfectly fine with the amount of wood that would be presented to them, now, the fire would only be bigger. She looked over at one of the guards who held his spear tightly next to her. She chuckled nervously, trying to strike a conversation, "So I see there are a lot of women here..." the guard didn't bother looking at her as she continued, "but there is barely any children. So I'm just wondering... are they perhaps the most tasty out of you all?" The guard didn't answer her at all and she looked away awkwardly, she might have to learn their language to strike a conversation with them. "My apologies..." she muttered to him.

Jack continued, "I am chief! Want big fire! More wood!" He looked back at the two guards that were on either side of his and Nicky's throne. "A boogie snickle snickle! Too sweet, c'mon!" The guards looked at each other and then rushed to help the natives to build a greater fire. Jack looked back at what he had done with a smile of triumphant then swiftly grabbed Nicky's hand and ran off with her behind their throne into the jungle.

* * *

"… and _I _say it was Divine Providence what escaped us from jail." Ragetti stated as Pintel was rowing them to land in a small long boat. He had a book opened out in front of him and he was trying to read it during their voyage from the Port Royal prison.

Pintel corrected him as he continued rowing, "And _I _say it was me being clever." The dog from the Port Royal prison suddenly decides to pop it's head off the side of the boat. He had the keys to all the cells in its mouth and his tail wagged excitedly from inside. Pintel cooed as he rubbed its head, "Ain't that right, poochie?"

Ragetti inquired to him, "How do you know it wasn't Divine Providence what _inspired_ you to be clever?" Pintel looked at him in disbelief as he added, "Anyways, I ain't stealing no ship." He went back to trying to read the book in his hand.

"It ain't stealing, it's salvaging," Pintel corrected him. He suddenly stopped rowing, asking him, "and since when did you care?"

"Since we're not immortal no more," Ragetti exclaimed like Pintel should already know this, "we got to take care of our immortal selves!" He pointed in the book like it was the book of God, and it actually was. Pintel just looked at him for a moment then at the book.

He commented, "You know you can't read."

Offended, Ragetti stated, "It's the bible. You get credit for trying."

Pintel rolled his eyes and stated, "_Pretending_ to read the bible is a lie! That's a mark against—." Instead of saying God, he just pointed at the sky like Ragetti already knew. But then the dog started to bark toward the shore of the upcoming island. Pintel turned his head to see the _Black Pearl _staked onto the beach. He awed, "Look, there it is!"

Ragetti turned his head and his eyes widened. The dog jumped off of the long boat and swam toward the shore. He looked at it confused, "What's gotten into him?"

Pintel shrugged and joked, "Must've saw a catfish."

They both smiled sheepishly at each other and laughed. Ragetti shouted at the dog who was already at the shore, "Stupid mongrel!" They were both laughing so hard that they were oblivious to the coming wave that the dog had sensed earlier. Pintel started rowing quickly as the wave caught them underneath already and soon, a loud yelp escaped from Ragetti's mouth as they found the long boat flipping over.

"It's ours for the taking!" Pintel shouted, looking at the deserted ship when he trudged through the waves that were rolling onto the shore of the beach. This was perfect for them. Him and Ragetti, get the ship ready to make way, sail around the Caribbean, get a crew in Tortuga, the things they could do! Pintel laughed menacingly just thinking of the mischief he would do... as captain of the _Black Pearl!_

Ragetti smiled and also laughed thinking about the things he would do as _Captain _of the _Black Pearl!_ Being the religious fellow he was now... God would surely bless him (rather than Pintel) with such a gift. "Tide's coming in, that'll help." He stated, reaching for one of the ropes that were staked. Pintel looked at him in disbelief, before he said he wasn't going to be taking the ship. Didn't he? Ragetti sensed it and explained, shrugging, "Well, salvaging's saving it, in a manner of speaking..."

Pintel laughed at his sudden change of mind and explained, "Aye! There's the truth in it!" Their heads snapped toward the hill in the jungle, hearing the sudden pound of drums in the jungle. Their laughing stopped. Some others were on this island with them...

Ragetti gulped, gripping a line to the ship, "And... I suppose, we'd best save it as soon as we can what with our souls in a vulnerable state and all..."

Pintel crossed himself as the drums pounded to their finale, "Amen to that!"

* * *

Christopher couldn't believe that he gotten Will started up on this idea. The crew in both cages lunged forward to grab something off the cliff at the edge. The small man, Marty, was on his back and although his size was small he proven himself to be very heavy. With a loud roar erupting from both cages, the faithful crew of the _Black Pearl_ lunged forward one last time, determined to get out of this trench even if it was the death of them. And to their luck, Will and Gibbs grabbed a vine on either side of their cage while Leech on the other side was gripping onto a vine of his own.

"Put your legs through and start to climb!" Gibbs ordered and they all did exactly what he said, using vines, rocks, and even twigs that were sticking out of the cliff. The cages moved steadily as the sun was beginning to set down beyond the horizon. The drums were to stop and the feast was to start very soon they knew.

To make them go faster, Will barked, "Come on men! We will need all of us to crew the _Pearl!"_

Leech shouted back to them, "Actually, we wouldn't need everyone!" Christopher raised his brow and looked over at the Indian man as he continued to climb. "About six would do!" Both cages suddenly came to a stop and Christopher looked over at them with a slight smirk developing. Six? Leech cursed himself for even opening his mouth and revealing such information to them. "Oh... dear."

Christopher yelled to them, "Six, eh?" But then he stopped, he realized something else... the drums had come to a stop. Will and him looked at each other than looked at the top of the cliff... they had a long way to go. "Hurry!" They both shouted in unison and no one hesitated, their escape now turned into a race on who would get to the _Pearl _first and who would be the men who stayed behind. Marty encouraged them while standing on Chris' back, but it was holding him back slightly. He didn't say anything to him about it, he knew Marty couldn't really do anything but encourage them even though it was getting rather annoying.

So far, they were in the lead, but when Will looked up he saw a guard walking on top of a bridge with a spear in his hand. He shushed everyone, "Stop." Everyone held on tightly as they looked at him with their eyebrows cocked. Then they looked up to see the guard walking past.

Leech decided that it was now for them to quietly take the lead. He looked back at Duncan and pointed up to the top, if anyone was going to win this it would be them. Duncan sheepishly grinned and nodded quickly. Half of the crew started to climb slowly up to catch up their missing time. "Stop." Will's eyes bulged and along with Gibbs he made hand motions for them to stop. They only looked at the cage that was still at a standstill and mocked at them. Christopher scowled and watched as they continued to climb. He hoped karma would get them sooner than later. Leech wasn't paying attention and grabbed a vine that felt slimy in between his fingers.

He cocked his eyebrow and looked down at it still chuckling. But then his smile dropped, along with the laughter. "Snake!" He shouted horrified and the members of the crew looked over at the man and saw that there was in fact a snake in his hand. They all yelped and let go of whatever they were using to support them, the cage swung backward roughly and the rope that was connected to the bridge above them snapped. The crew in that cage were screaming in fright as the cage plummeted to the foggy bottom of the trench.

Gibbs looked down with his eyes widened at what just had happened and Christopher just muttered, "Cheaters never suffice."

Will looked up at the guard who was looking down at the scene, "Hurry!" Agreements sounded all around the cage as the men suddenly felt the motivation to carry on with their climbing. Now they won the race to the _Black Pearl _by default. The guard ran to the thrown where the roasting ceremony was about to begin with one of the two deities to rat out that the prisoners were escaping.

* * *

Jack was caught. Nicky managed to get away fast by separating from him earlier. Out of _his_ suggestion, no less. Great. He thought at least she would get caught and he would go all hasten to her rescue and fight the cannibalistic beasts that were somewhat human that ate other humans, but his fantasy backfired on him. Why did all of his fantasies backfire on him lately? Well, his _great_ escape plan only helped him in getting the feast underway. He provided the rope, the bamboo pole, and the spices (from powdering himself under his arms with paprika earlier). Now, he would hope that Nicolette would come quick to save him from a grim fate.

They placed the pole he was bound upon on the two supports made from bamboo. He was now faced with another thing that was by his doing. The amount of firewood under him was only a few feet below him, practically almost touching. He muttered sarcastically, "Good job." At least the savages could follow orders from their soon to be eaten chief. Drums pound around him, the beat getting ready to crescendo to the grand finale. A cannibal ran across the bridge carrying a torch.

"Ah! Fye-fye!" He yelled out and holding the torch out to the heavens above.

The tribe raised up their spears and chanted, "Ah! Fye-fye!" But sooner than later, another man came up behind him panting since he had ran full speed to tell them that the prisoners were escaping. "Da latazo! Da latazo! Hay la paka say-say." Everyone's joyous faces fell and no one spoke a word not sure whether or not they should catch them or stay. They looked to Jack for advice, even though he was about to be roasted, he was still their chief. Not only that, but this would be the perfect opportune moment to get out of there.

Jack looked around at his subjects and ordered, "Well, go on, go get them! Hay ala!" They cheered and then ran off to do exactly what they were told. The one with the torch dropped it and Jack smirked, looking down at the newly sparking fire. His smirk fell immediately. Not good, not good at all. He did the only thing he _could_ do. He started to quickly blow out the fire with the little breath that he had and it only made it worse. Jack frowned even more and his breath quickened in hope that the fire would go out soon, but it seemed to be taking up all the space between him and the wood.

* * *

Nicky ran onto the dirt path that was leading her down a steep hill. Her and Jack had separated thinking that it would be best if one got away while the other was waiting for the one to come back and rescue them in the process of getting away from the cannibals. By the absence of natives around her, she assumed that she was the one that had to be doing the rescuing. She dodged everything that was in her path and she kept on running away from the sight.

_"Let's be honest, love, they care for the male rather than the female." _Despite the glare he received for that parting, Jack seemed to be right, they did care more for the male deity than of the female. She was wishing that the trees will hint a bit of sunlight from in between the trees or reveal much more light.

But she suddenly stopped, hearing... silence. Her eyes widened, the drums. She turned around and went to run back to the fire pit where they were sitting before. She shouldn't have never left him. Shit! She shouldn't have never left him! She started to panic and hurry her way back to the throne, but then she stopped midway, seeing a large woman carrying fruit in her hands. Nicolette gulped, this wasn't going to end well for anyone.

She tried to slowly step aside, but the large woman's gaze followed her. Then Nicolette tried the other side, but the woman stepped to the same side. Nicolette chuckled nervously holding her hands behind her back innocently. She started to try random conversation, to distract the woman, "So," Nicky looked the woman up and down gulping at her large finesse. This woman could sit on her and she would probably cut her air supply within seconds, "b-bet humans really have their advantages in, well, um, p-protein." She didn't mean to stumble on her words. If she knew their language more she would be able to distract her much more easily. Was she even a _her?_ She really couldn't tell at all.

Nicky was left in silence by the woman narrowing her eyes at her. She looked down at her toe necklace that still was on her neck, probably like their garlic... But did toes taste like garlic? No, why was she even considering thinking such madness? She scowled at herself and slowly took the necklace off her neck and held it out for the woman to take like it was some item to make a truce with. The woman only glared at it. Nicolette gulped and shook her head nervously biting her lip. She pointed behind the woman, "Ah! Eunuchie!" The woman didn't fall for it still. She stayed silent. "Sorry, I thought that eunuchs were one of your delicacies."

Nicolette looked down at the ground feeling awkward while she was trying to contemplate a way to get past and stated to the woman in front of her, "If you let me past... I'll..." She didn't hesitate, the woman's glare was too much for her to take. She turned on her heel and bolted to the nearest exit out of the jungle, forgetting the reason why she was going back to the thrown in the first place.

As she ran, she also heard the loud thuds of the woman chasing. She glanced behind her shoulder and saw that she was about to throw a pineapple at her head. "Ah!" She squealed and tried to do that run Jack usually did and she wouldn't be caught dead doing even in the worse of situations... what was it again? She didn't have time to think of what it was, she just kept a faster pace than what she usually did and hoped that the woman didn't have terrific aim. She ran past a tree with a large trunk and ran on the other side of it. But there was an absence of ground and grass and she only was to find herself falling. Falling? Now that was strange. It took her two seconds to realize that she had fallen into a hidden trench and she tried to go into a dive with her head faced down toward the water. Somehow in every situation she was in with Jack and the crew she found herself diving into rather large depths.

She took a quick breath, but soon she heard faint screams, familiar screams, get closer and closer to her. But before she could even turn her head to glance her body hit the water. She dove deeper than she expected and started to swim, no matter hearing the cage that had plummeted behind her. But as she swam she found herself dodging arrows that were being penetrated from a bow by the Pelegostos. Her breath was running out slowly and she broke surface finding a little side cave she could hide into for a while.

Nicolette leaned her body onto the stone wall, closing her eyes tightly hoping not to be seen by the people that were releasing arrows at her. She heard splashes around her and cracked open an eye to see that it was only Will, her brother, and the... they were alive! She opened her eyes fully to see that the Pelegostos were no longer there. Bigger fish to catch, she guessed, but that only reminded her about Jack. Her eyes widened. "Nic!" She recovered from her short reminder with the help of her brother's voice.

Instead of greeting him the same way, she looked over at him and asked him, trudging through the water, "What in the bloody hell are you doing here?" Christopher went to answer the question, but she put up her hand to silence him momentarily, "Never mind that, talk later. I don't want to hear it now." Then why did she ask? She walked forward to see an opening that leads to the jungle.

But before she decided to run off, she turned to Gibbs, "Go to the _Pearl_. Get it ready to make sail. I'm going to get Jack and... yeah," she started walking backward away from as she finished, "roast him myself." She ignored Will's confused expression and suddenly turned and ran off without anyone putting their input in anything. What was she doing? Was she really that foolish? Christopher looked at where she bolted away from them in disbelief. Will didn't question her motives, seeing that familiar look in her eye that resulted from her determination.

Gibbs looked at where Nicolette ran off as well, but quickly shook his head, snapping back to reality, "Come on, boys! The beach ain't that far away!" The crew looked at each other and then nodded following Gibbs who led the pack to the _Pearl_. Christopher slowly caught up, not sure if what he had just witnessed was actually what he had just witnessed.

Nicolette ran to the direction of where their throne was and thought that maybe, just maybe, they didn't do anything yet. She dodged everything in her way and felt the wind rushing through her hair from the fast speed she was running, but she halted hearing a familiar yell from above. She raised her eyebrow and looked up slowly only to see a man falling down backwards with his dreadlocks and arms flaring in the air. She gaped at Jack as he went through each and every bridge that was on his way to his hard fall. Nicolette took a step back and watched as Jack landed on the ground with a loud thud.

He stared up onto the drop he just experienced and then, the long pole of bamboo that he was bound to came its way down and Jack's eyes widened. Nicky's eyes widened and she stifled a gasp. He closed his eyes quickly, ready for it to kill him, but it just missed his head by a few inches. His eyes opened as he looked over sighing in relief. Nicky rolled her eyes, this man had the strangest luck. Then all of a sudden fruit fell down around Jack and Nicolette made a face wondering where it came from. She didn't want to question it. Mostly because she was worried about the answer that she would receive.

"The day in the life of Captain Jack Sparrow." She muttered under her breath exchanging glances between where he had fallen from then back at him. There were holes from each bridge that was on the way down. Her back just hurt looking at it.

"What's that, love?" Jack didn't hear her since her voice was too low. He sat up and looked at her with his eyebrow cocked. Nicky shook her head not in the mood to repeat it and crouched down in front of him, untying his foot that was still tied to the end of the pole. "You are a tad bit late, Nicky."

"I had an obstacle." She continued untying him, his foot was tied tightly to the pole, it was getting rather annoying. "And you're lucky that I came back for you at all. Now those people will probably catch me along with you and I'll be eaten if I don't get your damn foot untied in time." She stated through her gritted teeth.

The knot around his foot seemed to loosen and she unraveled it, asking, "Now, usually I wouldn't ask, but that fall even hurt my back watching your fall. How did the fruit come into play?"

Jack looked at her curiously and she got up lending out her hand for him to take. He took it slowly and then commented, "I didn't expect that question, honestly. I thought you'd care about my well being more than some mindless pieces of the fruit that fell from the sky." She only smiled calmly and brought him up on his feet.

"Well, thought maybe that the Gods and Goddesses that weren't bound to human flesh gave us this fruit as a so-called bless—." She was interrupted by loud traces of running that was closer than she would ever imagine. Jack's eyes almost fell out of his socked and Nicky gulped loudly, looking toward where she was hearing the loud pounds of feet that could match the sound of the drums before. They slowly turned their heads to see practically every person that belonged to the tribe running toward them.

She turned to Jack only to find that he was already ahead of her yelling and throwing his arms in the air to keep his speed faster. He almost looked like a lizard running away from a crocodile's dinner. "Run!" He reminded her through his loud yelping. Nicky turned to see the tribe coming closer and closer and she snapped out of her frozen stance. She hurried along and tried to follow Jack through the jungle to the beach. She swore to herself that she wouldn't be caught dead running like he did, but in this special circumstance... she did whatever she could to at least catch up to him.

* * *

"Haul loose the mooring line!" The crew burst through the jungle, running out to the majestic ship that was staked onto the beach. But to their surprise, half the work was already done by two unexpected men. Christopher cocked a brow not recognizing the men at all from the cages. Where did they come from? Pintel's voice rang out, Ragetti was supposed to throw down the mooring line a while ago. "The mooring line!"

Ragetti popped up above deck with a missing wooden eye. He whined, "He's got my eye, he won't give it back!" Jack the monkey climbed up the rigging and screeched triumphantly. Pintel rolled his eyes, he hated that monkey as much as the next person. It was just a damn monkey...

"Well," Pintel started at his nephew annoyed, "how'd you get it back the last time?" The remaining crew smiled with relief and quickly took over the ship easily. Pintel just looked at them shocked, he thought that they really had the ship this time. It was so deserted, it was the perfect moment. Pintel and Ragetti suddenly got worried that this wasn't going to work out or the fact that Gibbs or Captain Jack or, in Ragetti's worry, Nic, would notice that they weren't supposed to be there at that moment. She hated him as much as it was, as he thought he remembered.

Gibbs smirked, this made their escape a lot easier, "Excellent, our work's half done!"

Pintel stated to him nervously as Gibbs walked past him, "We did it for you, knowing you'd be coming back for him." Their part in making the ship ready to sail off the beach was ignored and they got the message immediately. Pintel's face fell as he shook his head at Ragetti disappointed, who seemed disappointed by this at all. No one liked being ignored, really.

As the crew swarm the ship, Gibbs shouted his orders, "Boys, make ready to sail!" Pintel got over it and he, as well, went onto the ship finishing what they had started with some help. Will and Christopher stood at the shore looking between the ship and the jungle of which they just ran out of.

"What about Jack?" Will spoke up for them both. They couldn't leave without him! Jack had what they wanted! The compass, Nic! They needed one of the two things (things including Nicolette) or what would they both come back to? Two hangings, maybe three, if Beckett somehow found a way to convict Christopher (even though it was out of _his_ request) of piracy. "Chris and I won't leave without him and Nic!" Christopher only looked over at him in disbelief, who told him that he could call him Chris?

But Will didn't seem to notice his glare, he only seemed to be focused on Gibbs' suddenly widened eyes, pointing to who was just approaching. Will and Christopher looked to see Nic and Jack running toward them in the _Pearl_, Will smiled thinking that they were alone. But that smile quickly dropped, seeing the whole _entire_ tribe running after. Christopher was actually speechless and gulped in fear along with Will. Will muttered, his mind slowly changing and forgetting why he was there in the first place for the moment, "Time to go."

Gibbs couldn't agree more, he ran back to the _Pearl _yelling, "Cast off those lines!" Will, Christopher, and the other crew members rushed over to get this ship moving as soon as possible to get out of that beach. With or without them. Nicolette finally reached Jack's speed, except she wasn't running like a bloody lizard, she was running away like she was going to be a beast's dessert. She was yelling as loud as him, maybe, even yelling louder _than_ him, which seemed impossible in her eyes.

"Oi!" Jack yelled out seeing the _Pearl _ready to go out of the beach. He started waving his arms more than usual and Nicky noticing this through her panting looked over to where he was frantically waving and her eyes almost widened. "Wait!"

The prison dog sat onto the damp sand and started barking loudly at the people that chased them. Nicky saluted it with a small smirk, but with that side distraction catching her view, she tripped over a small shell that had been washed on shore. Before she hit the ground, she felt an arm helping her run along with Jack. She didn't bother to see whom it belonged to, she already knew. Jack and Nicky shouted at the dog while running after their ship that was slowly leaving the shore, "Good doggy!"

The sails cascaded down and Nicky ran ahead of Jack through the water, not preparing to be caught by them first. Jack yelled for her as he followed her lead, "Nicky!" She started to go up the rigging as the ship hit the shallows of the sea, ignoring Jack behind her. Jack pounced on the rigging himself, not wanting his ship to go away from him once again and he would be in a fate that was... well, disturbing for him to even comprehend. Will met her over the railing helping her aboard.

Before she said a word to him, she looked over the railing and rolled her eyes seeing Jack starting to use his signature goodbye while hanging off the rigging, "Alas, my dear children! This is the day you shall always remember as the day that you almost—." A huge wave splashed on Jack as he was trying to say his goodbye. Nicky tried not to laugh at it as she noticed from the side his face falling. He muttered the last part, "Captain Jack Sparrow."

Nicky lent out her hand to Jack as he climbed up the rigging. As he grabbed it from her, she stated, "I don't think that we are going to get a nicer welcome next time."

"You think that was nice?" Jack scoffed a little out of breath, "Ha!" He needed rum after what he had just experienced, that was too overbearing for his liking. He climbed over the railing and Nicky let go of his hand, turning around to see the not so friendly faces of her past. Her brother, that man with the wooden eye, and that balding fellow who was his chief companion. Oh, and Will, but he didn't count in the equation as much as them. The two, Pintel and Ragetti, she remembered their names to be went to retrieve the Captain's coat and then they placed it on top of his shoulders.

The crowd of cannibals yell out at the ship for it to combine, the tone of their yells were confused. Their... God and their... Goddess, were leaving them. Why? What mad God wanted this to happen to them? This was so devastating to their community... how was this happening? Say, it wasn't so. But then the enchanting bark that was heard before came about again. It called to them. They suddenly fell silent and turned to see what was making that sweet... sweet noise.

It was something out of the heavens, itself. Something that had replaced both of them at once. The prison dog stopped barking and whimpered by the mischievous glares that the cannibals were giving them, who knew what they were thinking? In a flash, the dog found himself running faster than both Jack and Nicky combined and the cannibals now chased their gift from the heavens. Nicky looked over the railing and sighed seeing him being chased faintly as the beach shrunk slowly, "Poor dog."

* * *

_**So this is the end of the chapter, always felt bad for that dog in DMC, I was happy to hear in AWE that he survived with sea turtles. Next chapter we'll see Nicolette's and Jack's reaction to their new guests, no, not really going to be pretty for a certain one. Who do you guys think that is? I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible :D**_

_**Review?**_


	7. Bloody Eunuch

_**Hey, here's the seventh chapter! Wrote it fast, lol, I hope you all enjoy it. A lot of interesting things happen, several clashes, jealousy, and... yeah. I'm going to be busy with school this week unfortunately, so I don't know when I can update. But I'll try to as soon as possible. And if I don't, Happy St. Patricks day!**_

* * *

_Chapter Seven: Bloody Eunuch_

Will tapped on Nicky's shoulder as she was looking over the railing. She raised her eyebrow and turned around swiftly to see an old friend. "Will!" She shouted with joy, throwing her arms around him like they hadn't seen each other in years. Will chuckled awkwardly hugging back, he could feel Jack's glare burning holes into his back from behind. Nic retreated and looked her how Will had changed, but he really did look the same. Brown hair tied in a ponytail, penetrating brown eyes, and a dark brown goatee. "You haven't changed a bit!" Will wished he could say the same, but if he did, it would surely be a lie.

Pirate life definitely treated Nic very well, golden tanned skin, sun-kissed brown hair, even her hazel eyes had a spunk held in them that he hadn't seen before. "I wish I can say the same for you. Look at you, I see this choice you made is treating you well." She smiled and then he asked, "How are you?"

Nic went to answer the question, but then she heard someone clearing their throat behind them. She felt a hand on her waist leading her away from Will and to the helm. Nicky didn't even have to look to know that it was Jack. She looked over at him and glared anyway. Before she could comment she heard Gibbs' voice calm her down a bit, "Let's put as much distance between us and this island, and head out to open sea." Nic didn't have to look at Jack to know that idea wasn't as good as it might sound to others. What he had told her before they had arrived to the island of the Pelegostos, was so alarming that it even made her afraid of the open sea.

_"The what is coming after us?" Her body tensed on the bed and her eyes became wide by just hearing those words. Nicky was practically speechless, how could he be so foolish? Jack just put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but she smacked it away. "Jack Sparrow, you're a fool! Why in the bloody hell would you do that?" She exclaimed getting up from their bed abruptly. Jack seethed, he somehow knew that he was going to get this sort of reaction instead of 'Oh, Jack, I'll stay by you' but he had a pit in his gut that he followed that that reaction was going to happen._

_"Shh! Be quiet people will hear you!" Jack tried hushing her in loud whispers. Nicolette gritted her teeth as Jack continued to console her. "Now, love—."_

_"Don't you sweet talk me! That doesn't work anymore!" She exclaimed throwing her hands up in the air in aggravation. "You put all of our lives at risk for a ship!" _

_"Love, it ain't like that—!" _

_"Then how is it like? Enlighten me, please, you obviously knew that this was going to happen some point in these thirteen years." Nicky stated, placing her hands on her hips. She was waiting for an answer, but she only received silence. Nic should have never had that out burst. It was the past, even she had a past that she didn't want to bring out. Skeletons in her closet that she didn't want to look upon. _

_Jack came forward and grabbed Nicolette by the shoulders, she was looking into his deep brown eyes, they had much more depth than of the deep waters of the sea. "Love, what did I say before?" He asked, she looked down at the floor of their cabin, shuffling her feet nervously. Trust. She needed to trust him no matter what the circumstance. He apparently knew what he was doing. "You need to trust me, I know what I'm doing."_

_Nicky gulped and looked back up into Jack's enchanting eyes, "And what might that be?" Jack stayed quiet. He didn't even have a heading from his compass to direct him to what he knew he was doing, or was he refraining to be doing what he thought he needed to be done? No, no, no, none of that, it was only... improbable to explain to her, to the crew, and even himself. Nicky just shook her head and put a hand on where she felt her head pounding already. Headaches were going to be the death of her._

_"Love, will you please just sit back down?" Jack asked calmly, out of the two of them, he was somewhat the most patient. But this time his patience was running out. She went to walk away, but then Jack grabbed her arm tightly to make her yield. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to look at him. "Nicolette, I have a couple of things. That's all."_

She learned the truth of the chest and the compass last night, Nicky didn't know why Jack hadn't trust her with this before. It made her question everything in her relationship with him. Now, she didn't know, although she was trying to gain trust in him like he had said. She seethed to Gibbs before Jack could answer to his request, "Not a good idea at all, mate."

Gibbs looked over at her with his eyebrow raised and Jack answered, "Yes, to the first, yes to the second." Nicky looked up at him in disbelief as he led her up to the helm. He continued, "But, only insofar we keep to the shallows as much as possible." She stopped looking at him and sighed with relief.

Gibbs contradicted with them, "That seems a bit contradictory, Captain."

"I have every faith in your reconciliatory, navigational skills, Mr. Gibbs," Jack's arm retreated from Nicolette's waist as she was looking around the deck for someone. He didn't seem to be around, maybe he was only an imagination, her mind playing tricks on her like they sometimes did. She ignored Jack and as she was heading for the helm she heard a gunshot and a monkey screeching, now, how did she predict that would happen? She then heard a wooden eye fall onto the deck by her foot, wooden eye. She bent down picked it up and felt the wood in between her fingers.

"Miss?" Her eyes went from the eye to the man she knew it belonged to, she glared at him hatefully. Ragetti; unfortunately he wasn't at all a part of her imagination. God damn it, she should keep the wooden eye for a bit just to peeve him off, her personal supply of revenge for that one time on the _Interceptor_... she enjoyed holding a grudge still on that. He requested of her, "Can I 'ave me eye back?"

She hummed, considering it for a moment and smirked, "Now, why should I do that? That won't be fun, really. But if you entertain me on how you got here I might—." She was bumped out of the way as the passing people who were also on their way to the helm. The wooden eye in her hand flew out and she staggered into the railing. Ragetti caught the eye easily and placed it in his eye. He now developed a triumphant smirk. Nicky glared at him and then continued going up the stairs, suddenly hearing Will's rant.

"She is locked up in a prison bound to hang by _you_!" Nic's eyebrows furrowed, who was locked up in a cell? Bound to hang? Oh God, Elizabeth. Who else would he care about that was bound to hang?

She asked anyway, "Who's bound to hang?"

The man that was neither Will or Jack replied, "Elizabeth." That voice. It wasn't her imagination... He was really here like the belligerent pirate with the wooden eye.

Jack retorted to Will grabbing a rope to help him up onto the helm, "There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes."

Will wasn't taking that though. He noticed the compass dangling on him and he went with his first instinct. Nicky heard a cutlass unsheathe from the top of the helm and she widened her eyes, "Will!" She shrieked, seeing that it was at the crook of Jack's neck.

He ignored her as Christopher looked at him like he was crazy. Will stated to Jack, "I need that compass of yours, Jack." Jack glanced down at the compass that was dangling on his belt. Now, why would he need that? Will added, a fire glowing in his eyes, "I must trade it for her freedom." Christopher rolled his eyes, this man was an idiot. He hated Beckett even more now that he was stuck with him.

Jack put the sword on his other shoulder and looked toward Mr. Gibbs who was steering the ship to who knows where. "Mr. Gibbs!"

"Captain?"

Jack hurried over to him and stated to him in a hushed tone, "We have a need to go up river." Gibbs' eyes grew wide. What was up river? Nicky glared at Jack confused.

Gibbs suggested nervously, "By need, d'you mean a... trifling need, uh, a... fleeting need say as in a passing fancy?" Passing fancy? And who exactly was this passing fancy that they were going to visit? Or, rather, would she have to kill Jack for even having a passing fancy? The glare that was confused turned into a hateful, but yet, still confused glare.

Jack corrected, not only because he was under the wrath of Nicolette who barely even knew who they were talking about, but it was also that he couldn't even bring himself to even quench that need at the moment, "No, a... resolute and unyeilding need." Gibbs' face fell, now that need was worse than the need he had requested. What did they need from _her_ that was so... _'resolute and unyielding'? _It was definitely a frightening thought to think that they even had to go there to see _her._

Will stated, continuing his rant, "What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste!" Nicolette rolled her eyes, although Will was always a good friend to her, even a brother of some sort, he was maddeningly annoying when it came to his damsel in distress.

Christopher stepped forward snapping, "And I second that notion!" Everyone's eyes went straight to him for his sudden outburst. Jack looked to his left then right and then back at the man with his dark hair tied behind him and a slight stubble developing on his upper lip and chin.

"William..." Jack started, ignoring the mysterious man's input. Will snapped his attention toward him. "I shall trade you the compass, if you would help me... find _this." _He went into his waist coat and took out what Nicolette knew to be the piece of cloth he had recovered from the prison. Her face dropped seeing the illustration of the key that was held by Jack's rough hand. She looked up at Jack and glared at him, they were not getting Will into this. This was _his _problem. Not _her's_. Not _Gibbs'_. Not her _brother's_. And definitely _not_ Will's.

Will looked upon the drawn key. What would Jack want with this? He asked him annoyed, "You want me to find this?"

"No." Jack stated rather shortly and put his charm and wits to work. "You want you to find this. Because the finding of this finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating and your discovering the detecting of a way to save your dolly belle... oh, what's her face." He received blank stares as his answer. He flashed a smirk revealing his gold teeth to them. Nicolette rolled her eyes. Jack added to make sure he got his point across to them, "Savvy?"

Will snapped out of his confused expression, somewhat getting it to his head, even though the only clear words were 'to save you dolly belle.' He had to make sure though, "_This," _He grabbed the cloth in his hand in disbelief that this would actually save her, "is going to save Elizabeth."

Jack countered, "How much do you know about Davy Jones?" Nicky looked at him carefully and noticed that Will would do _anything_ in order to retrieve that compass and free Elizabeth.

Will admitted to him after contemplating what Davy Jones had anything to do with this, "Not much."

"Yeah," Jack took the cloth back and safely tucked it back into his waist coat, "it's going to save Elizabeth." He looked forward grazing his hands on the railing.

Nicolette rushed to the other side of him, ignoring the fact that her brother was next to her. Jack looked over at her as she grabbed his arm so he couldn't get away and so that he could come closer. "I don't think that this is a good idea." She stated to him, her tone concerned.

"And why not, deary?" He asked her and she just glared at him. Jack added with his tone hushed, "Nothing wrong with a bit of outside help from him, eh?" Christopher looked at them noticing how they were whispering to each other. Their voices were too hushed for him to even hear.

"I don't want him involved. It's your problem. It's not anyone else's."

"Don't forget though, love," Jack started with a slight smirk, "it's your problem too since you promised to me the night before that you were going to share in my consequences. Changing your mind now, aren't you?" Nicolette sighed, she had forgotten that she had stated that last night.

_"So, if we find the key and the chest, then we can use that as leverage to get your debt settled." She looked at him in disbelief. It was hard to take in all she had just heard from him. Too much information all at once. This couldn't possibly work at all. But it never hurt to try. _

_"That's the plan." Jack stated and Nicolette only looked down piecing the puzzle together for herself. "Improbable, it sounds, don't it?" She slowly nodded and looked into Jack's eyes compassionately. He added, "It would work, trust me, I'm not about to give up on her just yet. Me and the Pearl had been through too much to just give up the freedom it had presented to me just yet."_

_She smiled solemnly and took Jack's hand in with hers and overlaid her other hand on top. "The Black Pearl is freedom. And I'm not prepared to lose said freedom either." Jack smirked at her it was notorious and charming like usual in the worst of situations. "Jack, I promise that whatever happens, I'll share the consequence with you. If he takes you, he takes me. And we're not going to go down without a fight either."_

_Jack chuckled, "Don't promise things that have potential to be broken, love."_

_Nicolette smirked at him and stated, "Where's the potential for that, I wonder?"_

_"You say that now, love. But when the time comes I could put all my money on you just changing your mind right away." She shook her head denying that would happen. He knew her better than that to know that she wouldn't even think of doing that. She also had that look in her eye that told him it was going to be impossible to convince her otherwise. Jack cringed, he definitely hated that look, "But you have that look in your eye that seems to tell me that you wouldn't take it back."_

_She removed one of her hands off his and went to caress his cheek. She stated, "Jack, I love you too much to say otherwise. And there's nothing in the world that would change my mind. I promise." _

Damn her and her big mouth.

He added, "You know what, I promise, that whatever he," Nicky looked up at him curiously. He cleared his throat, "I mean, _we_, have to do in order to get the key that he would not get hurt in the process. In fact, he would just stay in one piece by the end of this."

She rolled her eyes not believing any of that and repeated what he had told her when she made the promise to him, "I don't think that you should promise what has potential to be broken."

Jack cocked a brow and was about to contradict, but someone's voice came back to their hearing, "What has potential to be broken?" Christopher was listening into some of their conversation, he only caught bits and pieces of it, not all of it.

Jack looked over at the eavesdropper and retorted, "Not very nice to listen to other people's conversation, mate." Nicky gave Jack his arm back roughly and took a step back. Jack looked the man up and down, he actually looked a bit too much like Nicky. He knew that this was her supposed brother, why hadn't Nicky introduced him to him yet? "I'm sorry, but I feel as though that I have not yet had the pleasure in meeting you." Jack commented, still looking at Christopher up and down. If he could call it a pleasure. Nicky looked away, not saying a word about her brother to Jack or anyone else, since believe it or not... she was just as shocked as them.

But she decided to speak up anyway, waving him off and looking back toward Jack, "That, Jack, is absolutely no one. No one at all. He's a distant cousin of my aunt's nephew who is a eunuch with a terrific soprano tone that would make anyone on this ship weep because it is just so good." Jack was too quick on his feet to actually believe that so soon. He smirked at her, she knew all the tricks and sayings, Jack taught her way _too_ well.

"You sure about that, darling?" He asked like he already knew that she was lying.

Gibbs decided to correct her, "That, sir, is Christopher, Nic's brother." Nicolette looked at Gibbs and glared at him for revealing such information to him. How did he know anyway? Oh, right, they were in the bone cages together.

"Uh-huh." Jack nodded toward Nicolette interested in why was she trying to hide the fact that he was there beside her at the moment. "Pleasure to be in your presence, son." He extended his hand toward Christopher who awkwardly shook it. "Heard a lot about you." _Liar._ Yes, he lied. Of course he lied, why would he tell Christian, or Christopher whatever his name was, that his sister never even spoke a word of him.

Christopher flashed a fake smile at him as he retreated his hand. He stated with his voice smug and yet cold at the same time. "Well, I could say the same to you, _Captain_ Jack Smith." Nicky looked over at him in disbelief and Christopher looked over at her smugly. Jack cocked a brow, Smith? That was not his name. It was _Captain _Jack Sparrow. Sparrow. Smith? Now, where the hell did that come from? Nicky glared at him as he continued, "How's the merchant business going by the way? I see that the _Black Tide _is definitely holding up very well in these—."

"Beg your pardon, but I need to talk with my brother for a moment, so sorry." Nicolette took her brother's arm and felt the glare that Jack was already sending her. Jack was trying to get it through his head, Smith, _Black Tide_, and worst of all... merchant... The puzzle was quietly being pieced together into his supposed identity. Nicky lied through her teeth to him. Why? Was she ashamed? Jack shook that idea out of his head, she would never be ashamed... about that. And why would she? Look at him, he was a handsome, charming, rogue. Any woman would be happy to spend the night with him, but, as unfortunate for them, he had his own woman to tend to for some _nightly_ duties.

She gritted her teeth as she led him off the helm and onto the bustling deck. "What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing? Why aren't you on _your_ ship?"

Christopher faked his offense, "Oh, is it so wrong that I want to see my sister that I hadn't seen at all or heard from at all?" She pursed her lips losing patience for him.

"Not if that sister isn't at all quite fond of the idea of her brother coming to see her." She spat at him.

He mocked a hurt tone, "What a slap to the face that is. Here I am, thinking that my welcome would be much appreciated and me meeting the _merchant_ that you told me so much about that day on the beach, and now, I find out that you lied to me about him since he's a... a... a pirate and you thought that you would never see me again because you haven't mentioned at all to anyone that you even have a brother."

She retorted, "Well, I had a right to not tell them about you. Being that you absolutely are committed to your..." Nicolette trailed off, this was worst than she thought. He was a part of the East India Trading Company... her face fell, why was he _really_ here? Her tone went quiet in nothing but a whisper, "Why are you here?" Christopher was shocked by the amount of concern that was shaded in her voice, it was almost trembling. He didn't answer her. Her suspicion of something far worse came to it's full height, "Chris, why would an East India Trading Company worker come on this ship with an absolute hatred of pirates?"

He lied, "I don't work for them anymore."

"I somehow doubt that very much."

"I'm not, though." He continued. Nicolette looked at him confused and looked around her cautiously to see if no one was around her on deck. "My ship's gone. Along with my title and name. I have nothing anymore since I was mutinied." Nicolette gaped, partly in shock and a little bit confused, she thought that he was a loyal Captain and a good one at that. Who would mutiny him? Then, she remembered the man with fiery red hair, his first mate. He seemed so untrustworthy the moment she met him. Now it was proven.

Could Christopher even call it a mutiny? He would for now. Nic's eyes became apologetic and she stated, "By O'Connor, I'm guessing." He raised his eyebrow and slowly nodded. She smiled gently, "Now, I know how I'm a good judge of character. I don't know how you ever trusted that bastard."

"Quiet!" He snapped at her. She smirked and he had the nerve to defend him right now, too. "He was a great friend of mine during our line of work."

"And you have the nerve to defend him now?" Nic asked curiously. "Interesting."

Christopher looked at her warningly. Nicolette kept her smirk and she even had the nerve to cross her arms over her chest. He stated to her softly, "Shut up."

"And what might I ask would you do about it if I don't?" Nicolette's tone was mocking and it taunted him almost. Christopher looked at her annoyed, seeing what she was doing. She waved it off and stated to him, "But that still doesn't explain the reason of why you're here."

"I said it before, haven't I?" He had the lie all lined up, on the why to the island where the shrimper had brought them to he had to get it all together. He couldn't just go up to her, say 'I'm going to kidnap you if your friend fails (which is probable) to get my ship back from my first mate who is going to be killed for being the bastard that had took it in the first place.' No, that would leave him with a bullet in his heart for that not exactly subtle greeting. He explained, "When I came to Port Royal, I went to find you at Jeremiah's shop, but Will had said that you were on the _Black Pearl_ and he was going there to ask for Sparrow's help. And I came with him."

Nicolette pursed her lips, not believing a word of it, "Still, you prove yourself to me as a disbelieving fool. What's the reason on why you're here? I'm not a aunt, am I?"

Christopher looked at her in disbelief, "No, why do you ask that every time I come unexpectedly?" She shrugged and Christopher sighed defeated, "Do you want to know the reason why I'm here?"

"That's what I'm asking you, am I not?"

He stated something that seemed to be more believable and closer to the truth, "Fine, you're coming with me to Port Royal. No sister of mine is going to ruin her life by committing to piracy any further."

Nicolette looked at him with her jaw dropping, that was why? She felt the anger boiling in her veins, her blood starting to rush around her body, she couldn't believe that. She liked the other unbelievable reason of why he was here. She couldn't go to Port Royal, she would be condemned, set to hang. Was he insane? Naïve? He must be. It would explain a lot. "I will not!" She exclaimed, backing away from him. "Are you insane? I'd be condemned for my acts of crime if I go with you... you... you oaf! That's just so... absurd."

"Well, would you rather your conscience beckoning on you during your further acts of crime or get the punishment of a hanging that you'd be deserving to clear it?" He countered and she just continued looking at him like this man was insane and he must had been.

"The conscience beckoning choice!" She shouted at him. Jack's head snapped to them from the helm and he saw the angry look that was crossing Nicky's face. "You're ridiculous for thinking that I would just go with you!"

"You will! I know someone that will grant you clemency if you come with _me_!"

"I will not go anyway!"

"You will so!"

"No, I will not!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Now, Nicky," they snapped their heads to see Jack standing there trying to calm Nicolette down, "whatever this man said to upset you I suggest that you should listen before yelling out and disturbing everyone's work on my deck." She gritted her teeth and glared at him annoyed.

Christopher pressed on in a mocking tone, "Yeah, _Nicky_, listen to the Captain." She cringed and Jack seethed, that wasn't a good idea. Especially since she was angry. It was just a bad move. She didn't like anyone other than himself to call her that. Nic tried not to turn around and strangle him, she flashed a fake innocent smile and turned around facing her brother. And then she did something completely unexpected by anyone. Her fake smile fell and her hand flying to the side of Christopher's cheek, sending his head in the other direction. Everyone in the crew looked over at the scene, the slap was so loud that it could probably be heard in Tortuga. Jack cringed, that even hurt him.

He pulled Nicolette away from her brother while he was nursing his cheek. Jack apologized for her, "I'm sure Nicolette would want to apo—."

"I'm not sorry." She stated in a serious tone while trying to get out of his hold. He had a tight grip on her arm, though. "He deserved it."

Christopher yelled at her offended, "Well, I don't see why I did, so care to enlighten me?"

She struggled under Jack's hold and exclaimed, "Let go of me, I can take him!"

Jack shook his head, "Yes, I know, that's what I'm worried about." He dragged her away and Will came down from the helm debating who should he go to, Nicolette or Christopher. He decided to go to the one who got slapped. Jack took Nicky who was still struggling to get out of his grip into the Captain's cabin, but before he went into it he shouted to the blank stares that he felt were burning holes in the back of his head. He ordered, "Nothing to see here, get back to work!"

"Let go of me!" Jack ignored her and took her into the cabin, although it was getting harder and harder to take her in. He let go of her and quickly locked the door so she wouldn't get smart and leave just yet, and to make sure of that Jack stood in front of the door with his hands on his hips. She gritted her teeth, "Jack, throw that man in the brig! Now!"

"I'll consider." He stated simply. "But who are you requesting said request to? Jack Smith or Jack Sparrow? Hmm?" She rolled her eyes, she didn't feel like getting into that stupid fib she had told Christopher a year ago. It had nothing to do with the current situation that included an idiot such as her brother.

"Well, aren't they two of the same person?"

"You can say that. But something like that is something that you should've told me so I could prepare mentally on how to present that lie to your brother. And you need to find something more original, darling. Jack Smith? _Black Tide_? What idiot is gullible enough to not even piece him and I together."

Nicky stated, "Don't flatter yourself." Jack glared at her and she added ignoring it, "And obviously he's the idiot since he's that gullible to even believe such things. And I didn't think that he would come! I thought that I would never see him again after leaving _his_ ship to save _you!_"

"He was a Captain?" She nodded. "Why isn't he on there doing Captain duties at the moment?"

She shrugged, "Said he was mutinied by his first mate."

Jack seethed from his own experience with that, "Rough. Can't say that I haven't been through it meself."

"Yeah, well, he practically lives under a rock. So that's probably another reason that he didn't hear of you and didn't know that I was with you."

Jack sighed, "Well, what are we going to do with him?"

She stated it like she had thought hard about it for the last couple of minutes, "Make him swab the deck until we can see our own reflections. And if we don't by the time it's done, throw him in the brig and keep him in there until either he rots or we go into shark infested waters and throw his body in there and watch him be eaten by them. He's not to be trusted. At all." Sometimes Jack thought that he was less of a pirate than she. She definitely knew the true definition of torture. Jack pursed his lips, contemplating that suggestion.

He shook his head no, he had a far better idea. That would probably amount to the same amount of torture, but not as deadly. Dealt with the undead. It was perfect. "I have a better idea. Not as deadly, but just as tortuous." He smirked at her and she smiled knowingly.

* * *

"What did you tell her?" Will asked Christopher, who was still nursing his cheek, it was starting to bruise.

"I can't believe she slapped me." He stated in disbelief. "I don't believe that I deserved that." Will's eyes narrowed at him and Christopher finally stopped nursing his red cheek. "I didn't tell her anything that she shouldn't know, don't worry. Might have unnerved her a little—."

"Oh, really?" Will interrupted with sarcasm.

He rolled his eyes and continued, "But she has no idea about who we're working for and she doesn't need to know. It would just be our little secret, don't worry." Christopher remembered the Letters of Marque that were given to Will to give to Jack, "Why didn't you say you had the Letters of Marque to bargain with?"

Will's face dropped and he shrugged, "I know Jack, that wouldn't be enough."

"It's full pardon, how would that not be enough?"

"Freedom and employment are two different things." Will stated. Christopher was about to reply, but Jack and Nicolette once again made an appearance. Nicolette seemed like she had calmed down by a lot and she was smiling mischievously.

"How's that cheek of yours, mate?" Jack asked Christopher, making Will and him turned their attention to him. He had his arm around Nicolette's shoulder and he was smirking partly showing his teeth.

"Rather fine." He lied, it was starting to swell and become bruised. Nicolette couldn't have been more proud of herself, he was lucky that he hadn't been punched. Her hands were bound by binding and hid her large rings so when the pain came wherever she hit, it would hurt faster and a lot more than it usually would. He was lucky. That bruise would be bigger than it was now.

"Nicolette here, would like to seriously apologize this time and use her own personal punishment for saying whatever you said to her and let bygones be bygones."

She assured him, "Sticks and stones, of course."

Jack added after her, "So, when we visit a good friend of mine, we'd be needing some payment for her, savvy? And what I think might be grand for her and what is a rather annoying pest of mine and everyone else aboard this vessel is the right thing to give her. Your job for now, is to capture the inconspicuous little blighter that used to belong to me past traitorous first mate and when you are done with that you can swab the deck for every day you had been aboard this vessel until we could both see our reflections in this wood. Savvy?"

Christopher only looked at him in disbelief, but slowly nodded. He inquired, "What is this 'little blighter' am I to catch?"

"A monkey to be precise. About ye high," he moved his hand to demonstrate the height of Jack the monkey. "His name's Jack. Likes green apples, surprisingly. Brown hair. Dark like Nicky's here." He took a strand of Nicky's hair to show it to Christopher. Nicky only looked at him disgusted. Now, why did Jack get to call Nic, Nicky and never got slapped for it? Jack had let go of Nicky's hair and put his arm back around her shoulder. "And it screeches... a lot. That would give way of its location. Oh, and let us not forget," he reached for his pistol that was under his sash and handed it to him, "you will need this. Just use it to scare him. If you shoot at him, don't shoot directly at him, we want him alive not dead. Am I or am I not clear with this?"

"Very." Christopher took Jack's pistol out of his hand cautiously and examined it in his hand. It was a flintlock like his. He handed it back, "I have my own, thank you."

Jack nodded taking it out of the man's grasp, "Fair enough. Now," he placed the pistol back safely under his sash and then started to shoo him, "on your way." With a glare, Christopher slowly walked away from him, Nic, and Will. Nicolette smirked, the man had no idea what he was getting into.

She chuckled, "You forgot to mention that he was undead."

Jack smirked, "Now, where's the fun in that to even mention it?"

She admitted, "True enough." Nicolette looked over at Will with a smile, "Come on, Will, we need to catch up I think." Jack's smirk fell into a frown and Will developed a gentle smile of his own. _Whelp better not say yes._

"I think so, too." Will stated to her, Nicolette slipped out from under Jack's arm before he could protest. She gestured to Will to go follow her below deck and he did so. Leaving Jack who despite his better judgment, found himself feeling that familiar feeling once Nicky walked off to talk to another guy that he didn't like. Especially a guy that she had once had feelings for in the past.

He assured himself calmly, "Just friends. They are just friends." But then he heard the familiar giggle of Nicolette descending below deck, he heard a 'no, seriously, it happened' that was the familiar voice of the voice of the man that for now he despised. Jack growled, he turned around to see the latch to below deck close before him. Should he follow them below deck? To make sure they won't do anything that contradicts Nicky's honor? She wouldn't do anything... no, she wouldn't at all. She was too much like... Nicolette to be doing anything. And Will was too much whipped by Elizabeth to even think of doing anything. He shook his head to be rid of the nonsense going through his head.

"Bloody eunuch." Jack muttered under his breath, then made his way to the helm.

* * *

_**Jack's getting a little jealous, eh? Do you think it's harmless? Probably. Like I said, interesting things that happened in this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it and I'll try to update as soon as possible. School's a pain, I can't wait for summer. Just a few more months :)**_

_**Review?**_


	8. Suspicions

_**Hey! Sorry, for the long time, no update. I had trouble writing this chapter... But anyway, there's two conversations in this chapter. Interesting conversations between Nicolette and Will (a little short) and between Jack and Christopher (a tad long). And I touched upon what may happen to them in their visit to Tia Dalma, there is a sort of touch of destiny in one other person than William. Who that is, well, that's for you to find out. So I hope you all enjoy the new chapter :) Happy Reading!**_

* * *

_Chapter Eight: Suspicions_

"You and Elizabeth, eh?" Nicolette smiled sitting across from Will in the galley. "Getting married, too? Now, how come I wasn't invited to this wedding. I love weddings!" She exclaimed taking a swig of rum that was by her. Will made a face at his friend who seemed to be drinking the whole time they were down in the galley. She changed so... much. Some were in good ways and others were in bad ways. Since when had she drank rum? She always held a deep hate for the drink since her father consumed it.

Will faked a smile, trying not to show his disgust, "Well, we did." He admitted. Nicolette raised her eyebrow. They did? "We sent your invitation over to Tortuga, actually, to the Faithful Bride." Nicolette looked at him confused, she hadn't been to Tortuga for a while, that was why she hadn't gotten it probably. She mouthed an 'oh.'

"Well, that would explain things. Hadn't been in Tortuga for a while." She stated with a chuckle. But then sadly she added, "But can't say that it isn't a shame that she and you were arrested for helping Jack. I wouldn't blame you for regretting that decision."

"Why would I regret it?" He asked her curiously, he did only a little, but other than Elizabeth being in jail for it, there was anything to regret about it. It brought him and Elizabeth together, it brought Jack and Nicolette together, there really was no other con than the jail time he was serving because of it.

"Why wouldn't you regret it?" She retorted.

"Well, although the results of it were bad, some turned out rather good." Nicolette chuckled, and nodded in agreement catching what he was saying by that.

They fell into an awkward silence. One of many the two friends found themselves in while they were catching up. It was an extreme rarity. Nicolette gulped, suddenly feeling tense. Why had it become like this? She would like to know. But she felt odd and strange being in the presence of Will again. She thought, the night before that of the day of the hanging was really their last day before they parted into their own separate stories. The end. But here he was. She didn't even prepare a speech with him to catch up upon. Guidelines. What to touch upon, and what not to touch upon in her pirate life. Some of the things she had told him weren't for the ears of really the type of man that is of him.

She saw the look of disgust form with half of the things, he would probably not admit it, but she definitely had seen it. Maybe if it was Elizabeth, who actually took an interest in piracy rather than Will who wasn't really, the reaction that she could've gotten would be more... better.

She could only touch upon the subject that was the least of her problems, but she had always wondered about, "How's my drunk of a father doing? The business still intact and not burnt down yet?"

Will laughed sadly, "Without my help, yes, the business is still very much intact." He then frowned, looking down at his hands that he had been fiddling with the whole time that she had been talking to him. Nicolette arched her brow and suddenly saw Will's body tense.

"Will? Is something wrong?" Will focused back on Nic and faked an innocent smile. She just looked at him, questioning his sanity. That was... strange. His body was still tense though. "Will, why do you seem so—?"

"Happy?" Will asked her in hope.

Her face fell and corrected, "No, tense."

"Me? Tense? Come on, Nicolette you know me. I'm never tense." He stated to her quickly. Why her mentioning her father suddenly leave Will tense? Nicolette only looked at him for a second, something wasn't right with him at all.

She muttered under her breath before taking a swig of rum, "I beg to differ with that."

Will questioned, "What was that?"

She smiled at him innocently and stated sweetly, "Nothing, nothing at all."

* * *

"I got it!" Christopher took a bite out of his apple, hearing the shout of the lonely pirate with the wooden. Before he could get any of his hopes up, he heard him wince, "Ow! Give it back!" He rolled his eyes and leaned his back on the rigging taking yet another bite of his apple. Pirates. Offer the two that were exceptionally dimwitted and have them do your job for you. He didn't think that it would actually work, but when they had agreed, he hadn't at all asked any questions. Idiots. Christopher _actually_ did do his job for only an hour before quitting.

The monkey pranced away from them and climbed up the rigging that Christopher was by. Christopher glanced up at it and felt the blank stares of Pintel, the man who was the leader of the two, and Ragetti, who was the man who had lost his eye. He slowly turned his head to match them, "Well, go on." He stated, "Get him."

Pintel spoke in a raspy tone, "We got to be paid more to catch the likes of that mongrel."

Ragetti added, "We ain't sure if it is worth me eye again." He placed his eye back in its socket and Christopher tried not to cringe as he did so.

He sighed, he might have to negotiate this, "What about for double the profit?"

Pintel questioned, "Double?"

"Aye."

Ragetti shook his head unsure, "I don't know 'bout that."

Pintel slapped his arm, "Double is better than nothing, ain't it? "

"True 'nough, but it ain't right. What has that monkey done to us anyway?" He argued.

Pintel rolled his eyes, "What has he done to _us_?" When he repeated that question it sounded like he had thought it was snake venom that was poured into his mouth. "What hadn't he done to us? I swear, ever since you became the mortality one of the two, you been thinkin' all doings that you usually do to be wrong with the bible!"

"It's sinful!"

"How might it be sinful? You can't even know that it is since you never even gotten to learnin' to read. So you cannot read what you don't know."

"I don' want me eye to be taken again!"

"I'll get you a new one!" Christopher exclaimed with a smile spreading on his face. Ragetti looked at him with hope, a new eye? What kind? Wood? Glass? Glass, would be nice. He got off the rigging and placed a hand on Ragetti's shoulder, "Just hear me out, mate," he started, trying to make his voice sound the least bit convincing, "You seem like a smart, illiterate man. Never thought it to be possible. But if you can't read, might as well make it look like you can. A glass eye to match that one, I say would be nice. It would fit in there perfectly. Doesn't that sound nice there?"

"Very much so." He replied, him with a glass eye. He could just picture it, him, with an eye of glass, people would think that he is of high class.

Christopher patted both their shoulders, "Okay, then! It's settled!" Jack stood at the helm watching Christopher with an interested gleam in his eye, what was he doing? The conversation between him and Gibbs drained the voices of Ragetti, Pintel, and Christopher. All he knew was that, well, he didn't know what he knew anything other than Christopher was disregarding what he was supposedly doing. Christopher held a triumphant smile, "You do this for me, I'll give _you _a glass eye." He poked Ragetti in the chest gesturing to him and then did the same to Pintel, "And I give you double the amount I was paying ya anyway. Pleasure doing business with you two. If you need me, I shall be in the galley."

Before either of them could say something of protest, he walked away already starting to go below deck. Jack cocked a brow and excused himself from Gibbs. He made his way down the helm quickly to catch up to Christopher who was already picking up the latch to go below. "I wouldn't be doing that, mate." Jack stated in warning, Christopher nervously backed away to look at him. "You don't want your sister to see that you aren't doing what you are supposed to be doing now, do you? I don't think that she'd be happy."

"I don't doubt that you are wrong." He replied in a smug tone.

Jack shrugged, "Something you are going to have to learn, son. _Captain_ Jack Sparrow, is _never_ wrong about anything." Captain Jack Sparrow also seemed to never forget the word Captain in his name. Was he always conceited and smug sometimes? When he was about to leave Jack with a sarcastic comment, he asked him skeptically, "Speaking of you aren't doing what you are supposed to be doing, why aren't you doing what you are supposed to be doing?"

Christopher shrugged, "But I am."

"You are?"

"I believe so."

Jack cocked a brow, "Now, am I imagining you being in front of me and talking to me or are you just plain delusional? It's okay, really if you are delusional. Happens to the best of us. But might I suggest that you see a specialist when we port immediately, that could cause problems in the near future, mate."

Christopher rolled his eyes, "Unfortunately, you are wrong for once, Jack Sparrow. I am not delusional nor are you imagining me being in front of you and talking to you. I am in fact influencing in the affair of catching the monkey."

"Ah, so how are you trying to capture said monkey when you're standing here talking to me right at the moment?" Jack inquired sounding like he was amused.

"Well," Christopher started to explain in once again a smug tone, "you never said how I was supposed to get the job done. You only said that I had to do it someway as long the cage ends up in my hands when the deed was done. Did you not say that?"

"Actually, I didn't say that."

"But you meant it." Jack's eyes narrowed at the man and with his hand he gestured for him to continue. "So I took it upon my honor to ask—."

He corrected that, "Or bribe."

Christopher rolled his eyes and fixed his mistake, "To bribe two men to help me."

"Although, I recall giving you another job after said job? Correct me if I'm wrong, highly doubted though."

"You're not wrong." Christopher developed a small smirk. "I _do_ recall you telling me to do that when I was done with the catching monkey ordeal and I don't think that I am."

Jack's lips pursed into a small smirk when he stated to him, "Smart man." Jack turned on his heel and gestured for Christopher to follow him. He only stood there, not sure whether or not it would be a good idea. Jack sighed, looking behind his shoulder, "Well, don't just be standing there. Follow me, or would you rather get caught by Nicky who wouldn't take what you said to me for a moment?" Christopher contemplated it, and then didn't at all hesitate in following Jack into the Captain's cabin.

He cautiously entered the pirate's cabin, taking in the new surroundings, it was actually neat. Bed was made, the desk was a mess of charts and tools, there was half emptied rum bottle on it as well. He crinkled his nose, he could smell it already. Jack went to the bed and bent down as if he was looking for something. Christopher only just realized how he walked, he always seemed drunk, staggering along the deck, slurring his words. What was so attractive that Nicolette had found about him? He didn't think he could dive in any woman's mind about men.

"Ah," Jack found several bottles of rum under Nicolette's side of the bed. He took two out, one for him and the other for the man who was still standing at the door. He got up carrying them in his hands. He looked Christopher up and down, "Tell me, Christopher, are you a fan of standing around or would you rather a seat to sit in?" Christopher snapped out of it and sat down at the edge of the desk with his hands clasped on his lap.

"I tell you, your sister thinks that she could hide a stash for herself in this room without me knowing about it. Sometimes she, questions me own sanity." Jack walked over to his desk and offered Christopher a bottle.

He shook his head immediately, "I don't drink." He remembered back to earlier, you would never know where you would wake up the next day or what condition you would actually wake up in.

Jack cocked his brow, "Is there a reason why?"

Christopher nodded with a nervous chuckle, "Never know where you'd wake up in the morning if you drink too much."

"How right you are." Jack said with a mischievous smile. He stated, "That's fine, more rum for me." He put both of the bottles onto the desk and plopped himself into his own chair. He propped his feet on the desk and Christopher eyed the rum carefully, one bottle wouldn't hurt really. As Jack took the half of rum in his hand to have himself a swig, Christopher took one of his own.

Jack furrowed his eyebrows at him confused and Christopher shrugged before uncorking it, "One won't hurt, would it?" Jack considered and nodded to him. Christopher brought the hard liquid to his lips and felt it go down his throat, burning the edges of it. When he removed it and placed it back on the desk, he inquired, "Now, does Nicolette know that you steal her stash of rum once in a while?"

"What she doesn't know, won't hurt her." Jack took a swig of his rum before he continued, "Like you won't tell her that I frequently take from it and I won't tell her that you founded a loophole in our little agreement job for you. Agreed?"

Christopher nodded, "Agreed."

"So, tell me about yourself."

Christopher gawked at him for a moment, "Excuse me?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"Uh," what should he say about himself? Why should he even tell Jack about himself? There was nothing for him to know about him. Just that he was Nicolette's brother, that was all. "And why should I tell you? All you need to know is that I am Nicolette's brother."

Jack inquired, "But I am Captain of a ship, and being Captain of a ship I should in fact know who I am allowing aboard my vessel. Don't you agree?"

He did in fact agree with that. If it was his ship he would actually get to know who was he inviting aboard it. It was the logical thing to do. But in this case, Christopher would disagree. "I don't."

"You don't, eh?" Jack questioned. Christopher shook his head no. "Interesting." He muttered under his breath. "Now, I bet, if you were a Captain and a crew member of some sort just appeared out of nowhere with another man and that said crew member wouldn't bother to tell you his or her true intentions aboard here you find that a bit suspicious, now, would you?"

Christopher gulped and covered, "I would be sure to tell William that you are suspicious of his intentions on this vessel."

"I think you know that I know that I'm not talking about noble William Turner, mate."

Christopher gulped again and took another swig of his rum. "Fine, then." He started lying and avoiding the subject of the East India Trading Company, "My name is Christopher Brown, Captain of _a_ ship. A merchant ship. We trade..." Christopher trialed off, what did he trade? Spices, silk, silk! That would do, he traded silk. "We trade silk from..." From where? China! China still did those silk road things, right? "China... aye, China."

_That sounded like a lie._ Jack tried not to touch upon it, it wasn't something to be touched upon, really. So, instead, he inquired, "Why aren't you on said ship at the moment?" Jack already knew this, he just wanted to confirm it from the lackey of the eunuch. And it would be wrong to just come out to it that he already knew from Nicky.

"My first mate stole it."

Jack nodded knowingly, "What's the name of her?"

"Is this an interrogation that I'm unaware of?" Christopher asked back annoyed, not wanting to say his ship's name, not only would it blow his cover, but he didn't need to know that. "I don't think that you need to know the name of her."

"You're a interesting fellow, you know that?" Jack commented looking Christopher up and down, "First you unexpectedly show up on my ship, then go and get Nicolette bothered and yourself slapped from it, then you outsmarted both me and her in finding that little loophole thing, and then you don't like rum, but you're drinking it with me anyway, you wouldn't tell me a thing about yourself, and now you are getting offensive when I ask you a simple question that even a wobbly-legged, rum pot pirate would answer."

"You seem to over analyze a lot of things."

"Depends on the matter of perspective."

Christopher rolled his eyes, he wouldn't see the ship anyway, or probably know of it. He gave up, "_The Greene Marauder._ That's her name." Jack raised his eyebrow, now, where did he hear that name before? He didn't hear of it, he saw it somewhere.

He stated, "_The Greene Marauder._ That's a interesting name for a ship."

Christopher nodded, "That's what everyone says, it's named after her original Captain, was a father figure to me until the day that he died. Taught me a lot in my lifetime."

"What was his name?"

"Robert." He answered rather shortly. Robert Greene. That name surely rang a bell. Robert Greene, _Wicked Wench_. That was his first mate... where did he see that ship before? It was so familiar. Like the time that he had saw Nicolette hugging that man that was _him_. He was in a uniform... a very familiar uniform at that. Jack looked at Christopher interested and then opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Jack called, never taking his eyes off Christopher. His suspicions heightened about this man. Not in a good way either.

Gibbs' voice echoed to him through the door, "You're needed at the helm! We are coming by the river!"

Jack sighed and nodded, getting up, "Be right there!" He turned to Christopher as he was cautiously getting up from his chair, "If I were you, I would be sure that the two belligerent pirate did what they were supposed to do." He nodded and went to leave, but then Jack stopped him with a hand and a warning look, "Best not to tell Nicolette about our conversation here." Christopher raised his eyebrow and slowly left the cabin in front of Jack. He let the door closed as Jack contemplated what he had just realized.

What should he do? Get rid of him? Throw him overboard? Or the brig? Brig, would be nice, but... no. He was going to leave him be. _"He's not to be trusted. Not at all."_ How right Nicky was. Jack sighed, he would leave this as his little secret. He would just keep a weather eye out on the boy, you would never know when he would turn about with a sudden changed mind.

* * *

Nicolette crinkled her nose smelling the rotten air that echoed around the swamp. She was next to Will who was only cross-examining Jack and her. They seemed to be afraid and jumpy on board, while him and her were catching up he noticed it. Christopher sat in the long boat with Jack for his separation agreement with Nicolette she made him made the moment they got off of the _Pearl_. Will looked curiously at Gibbs, if anyone knew why Nic and Jack were suspiciously jumpy so far during the voyage, he would. "Why are Jack and Nic afraid of the open ocean?"

Nicolette looked over at him, "_I'm _not afraid of the open ocean." She stated.

Will nodded in disbelief, "Sure you aren't."

Gibbs ignored the argument between them that was starting to form and explained, "Well if you believe such things, there's a beast that does the bidding of Davy Jones." The mention of his name and the word 'beast' made Nicolette's body suddenly tense. "A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off. And drag an entire ship past the crushing darkness!" Gibbs paused for dramatic effect and to make sure that the people aboard the longboat with him were hanging off of his every word. He was always a good storyteller. "The Kraken."

Nicolette gulped at the sound of the name, she _did_ hear rumors about the beast. When Jack got the black spot, before then she believed them to all be fake, but now... she had no choice but to believe. Marty slowly turned his head around hearing the name in Gibbs' hushed tone. Ragetti and Pintel gaped at the name and looked at each other nervously like it was coming for them right at this instant. Will was the only that didn't either get tense at the sound of the name or didn't get a sense of fear.

Gibbs described to everyone what he had heard, it almost sounded like he had experienced it himself. "They say the smell of his breath is like—." He shivered from just thinking about it, "Imagine: the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken, and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses." That thought settled in everyone's minds, it was a scary thought indeed. They didn't want that fate to be put on anybody. After he had thought that his point was set across, Gibbs finished with, "If you believe such things.

Will recovered from his disgusted thoughts about the beast. He asked Gibbs curiously, "And the key will spare him of this?"

He shrugged, "Now, that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough to even go visit... _her._" Her? Gibbs' eyes darkened nervously. Obviously he wasn't a fan of the woman at all.

"_Her?"_ She asked curiously looking at him.

"Aye, _her._" Gibbs confirmed.

Christopher looked over at Jack who was scanning the beginning of the bayou nervously. His body was tense, his face was set in a deep frown than it was in before. "You seem nervous." He commented to him.

Jack looked over his shoulder at Christopher who was sitting next to the caged monkey that he had proudly caught right before they had anchored by the mouth of the river. Little wretch. Christopher had been chasing after the damned thing for only an hour before the two dimwitted pirates were doing it for him, and yet he was elated when he was ready to be rid of it. It was an annoying thing. Jack replied with a short question, "Point being?"

Christopher was rather shocked by his short reply. "No point." He stated and cocked a brow on why he was suddenly liked this. But then it hit him. He smirked, "This woman is an old flame, is she?"

Jack scoffed, "And if she is what would bring me to satisfy you with such information?"

He chuckled, "I'll say that's a yes, then." Jack scowled, no wonder Nicky slapped him on board the ship. He was rather annoying and was a man who was full of questions. Not usually a bad quality, but at this time it was annoying. Christopher muttered under his breath, "This is going to be interesting ." Jack glared at him from behind his shoulder and then looked forward to where they were entering. He realized then, that the man was definitely right. This was going to be thoroughly interesting.

* * *

Tia Dalma sat in her shack that was deep in the bayou, studying the crab claws that were laid out in front of her. "Interesting," she commented. She knew that there were guests coming to visit her soon, Jack Sparrow and his crew. Three members of that crew had a... touch of destiny of some sort about them. The woman, her destiny had so many twists and turns held in them. She would experience many deceit and lies that would be caused by something of her blood. Her family. But she did hold an honor streak, an honor streak that could not be trifled with no matter how the person may try to.

But why would someone of her family do something of that kind? Triumph? Ambition? Reassurance, most likely.

Her blood was on his way, too, he had many twists and turns like her, but they could change if he let them, so far, the claws lied true. Siding with hatred, killing hatred, and then becoming a big part of that hatred. Intriguing, really, how one like himself would give up anything to gain what he wanted. Very career oriented as well. And finally, another man who was in fact a big part in both, almost an influence of some sort. His destiny was set on its path the moment Jack Sparrow had crossed. Tia had to make sure if these three were surely coming, she gathered her claws in her hands and mumbled into them a chant.

The claws rattled in them and she threw them back onto the table, they fell in the same pattern. Only proved that what was going to happen was most likely set in stone. They were on their way, getting closer and closer as the sun sets down behind the horizon outside of the swamp. Tia, would have nothing better to do, but to wait, for these destinies to arrive to her and start off on their right foot.

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_**Hmm, I wonder why Will suddenly gotten tense when talking about Nicolette's dad... is he hiding something, too, now? Jack knows about Christopher now. And one of them does seem to have a bit of destiny within them that seems important. (Even though I touched upon all of theirs, but one is only influenced from the other two that it is that way, confused? I am just from writing that little sentence) So I hope you all enjoyed the chapter :) I'll try to write the Tia Dalma scene fast as a treat. Since you all are just the greatest fans ever :)**_

_**Review?**_


	9. Curiosity Killed the Cat

_**Hey everyone! I updated this really quick :) This is the Tia Dalma chapter, I like Tia Dalma, she is one of my favorite characters in the whole movie. Nicolette gets a little curious in this chapter and has a conversation with Tia and her brother about it in this chapter. I wonder how that goes? Lol. Hope you all enjoy :) Thank you to all the reviewers, favoriters, and alerters they all make me smile :D**_

**_Review Replies:_**

**_Kaiti-94: I have those moments when I'm lazy enough not to sign in a lot, too. Lol! It's okay, don't worry about it, but I'm glad that you loved them all :) Hope you enjoy the new chapter!_**

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_Chapter Nine: Curiosity Killed The Cat._

Nicolette looked around the swampy bayou cautiously, seeing the flicker of a firefly here and there. Around the boats there were several people in the water, they blended in with the darkness, but their dark eyes never left their new visitors in the long boats. Nicolette gulped, feeling belittled by the pairs of eyes looking at her. She felt herself shrink in her seat next to Will because of them. When she looked forward she saw a tree that had a shack built into it. It was at the end, this must be it. It seemed, worn, the condition of the shack seemed to hold an odd power around it. Nicolette felt herself long to go in and get closer to it, not because of the longboats that were taking them to it, it was because she felt... linked.

The longboats stopped at the base of the tree the shack was built into. Jack had gotten out, followed by Christopher who took his cage proudly in his hand acting like he did all the work to accomplish it. Gibbs got out of his own first, helping Nicolette to stand and look at the shack with confusion, what was the real reason they were here? Who was this _her _that resided here? The rest of the crew filed around Jack, all were seemingly nervous or anxious to get in. But the most nervous out of everyone was Jack and Gibbs, knowing who was it that resided here more than anyone.

Jack assured them with a nervous smile, "Don't worry, mates." Nicolette bit her tongue to not say something out of line at that moment seeing Jack's tense body. It seemed to her that he was mostly convincing himself not to worry. "Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable, we are..." Jack trailed off with his smile falling in a nervous frown that was deep. Well, they didn't exactly leave off on the _greatest_ terms. He corrected, "were..." that wasn't right either, "have been..." no, not that either, "...before."

Gibbs walked toward him and placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort. "I'll watch your back." He assured.

Nicolette scoffed with a chuckle, "Whatever he did and whatever she would do to him, he probably deserves it."

Jack flashed her a warning glare before stating to Gibbs who didn't hear the comment, "It's me front that I'm worried about." Nicolette chuckled to herself and went to walk forward behind Jack, but he stopped her with his hand. "Mind the boat." He ordered her, not wanting Nicky to stay by him in Tia's. He didn't know what might happen if she comes along.

Nicky glared at him as he walked forward and said to Gibbs, "Mind the boat." Then she followed Jack who was climbing up the stairs to the tree.

Gibbs said to Will before following Nicolette and Jack to the shack, "Mind the boat."

Will wasn't going to stand by the boat. He passed it on to Christopher who had the monkey, "Mind the boat."

Christopher scoffed and passed it on to Pintel and Ragetti, "Mind the boat."

Pintel spoke for both of them as they watch Chris and Will go in the shack, "Mind the boat."

Marty was the one who got the message as Pintel and Ragetti followed them in. He stated to whoever was behind him, "Mind the boat."

With that he walked forward behind the long trail of people. There, in the longboat was only Cotton left, unlike anyone else, he had no one to depend on to leave the job to, nor could he ask someone else. He looked toward his parrot for help, but not even the bird wanted to stay. He squawked, "Mind the boat!" Then he flapped away leaving Cotton to awkwardly sit in the boat and wait for everyone else.

Jack stopped at the door when he reached the top of the stairs. Everyone waited for him to go into the hut, but he didn't budge. Nicolette cocked her eyebrow and tapped Jack on the shoulder, he jumped and turned around to face her. Nicky looked at him for a moment, "Well? Go on, Jack. She's not going to bite you, I'm sure."

Jack looked at her curiously and stated as the people behind him formed a line, "I thought I told you all to stay put and mind the boat."

"You didn't." She stated with a concerned tone at his paranoid stature. _This man questions my own sanity sometimes, _she thought to herself.

Jack brought the nervous smile back, "Oh, I knew that." He stepped aside to let Nicolette go in first in their small amount of space. Nicky only looked at him confused, "Ladies first, love?" He sounded unsure at first and Nicolette just stayed put, watching Jack carefully.

"In this case, I think we can forget chivalry since I don't want to go into some random woman's home. I don't think I'm well invited like you."

Jack gulped, this wasn't going to be good. Before he cautiously pushed open the door, he muttered under his breath, "I don't think I am either." Nicolette caught that and before she could ask, she found Jack slowly pushing the door and taking in the familiar surroundings of the shack. Nicolette slowly followed him in, she was actually nervous in meeting said Tia Dalma.

The room was dimly lit. It held jars that were dangling randomly from the ceiling. Each holding within them odd creatures. It seemed a lot smaller from outside and her eyes scanned the room for the woman that she knew that they were going to see. On the counter, she noticed something vaguely familiar. An atrocious looking thing, really. She hated it the moment she laid her eyes on the familiar object. It had a purple feather and it was worn. It was a Captain's hat, no doubt... but who owned it, that was what was so strange about it. As people followed her in, Nicolette found herself, pushing back the things that were in front of her as she quickly made her way toward it.

When Nic got to it, she touched the brim of it, this hat was way too familiar now. She felt the same hatred for the man that she had hated and thought to be dead a year ago. Nicky only said a name under her breath, "Barbossa."

"You said something?" She snapped her head toward Jack who still only made it halfway from the door. She shook her head at him, he didn't need to worry about it. But she placed the hat back down onto the counter. Nicolette then heard a deep accent radiate from the other corner.

"Jack Sparrow." Nicolette's head now snapped toward that voice. There was Tia Dalma. She didn't seem that bad. Nicolette slowly made her way away from the counter, acting innocent in touching any of her stuff. But... that wasn't hers. Did she know that wasn't hers? She looked upon Tia Dalma, she was a dark woman, with black dreadlocks. Matted in her hair was several beads, feathers, she looked something from the beyond almost. Something about her sparked as something... strange... something, that Nicolette couldn't pinpoint. She was intrigued.

"Tia Dalma." Jack faked a welcoming smile, but some could still see the tension that was creased in his forehead. He spread out his arms like he was happy to see her. She seemed to be happy to see him, that was surprising. He walked forward, seeing now that he was welcomed by her, and made himself more comfortable as a guest. A jar swung in his way as he made his way closer, his face dropped as he nervously went around it. His eyes were pointedly looking at the jar of eyes the whole time, some were staring back at him.

Tia cooed as she made her way with her gown to him, "I always knew the wind would blow you back to me someday." Nicolette cocked her eyebrow at the woman and chuckled in disbelief. What in the bloody hell was wrong with her? Jack gulped through his nervous smile and he heard the rush of footsteps that was caused by Nicolette next to him as Tia fingered his chest.

She stated to the woman, "I beg your pardon, but that wind can bring him back for different reasons other than the reason that you think the wind blew him for." Tia Dalma took several steps back from Jack getting the message immediately, but smiled at Nicolette gently like she had expected this from her. Nicolette looked at her pointedly, matching the curious look that Tia was giving her.

"You, must be Nicolette Brown. I heard a lot about you." Her heavy accent made Nicolette not comprehend, but she caught her name. Her lips parted, and what did she hear about her exactly?

She asked Tia confused that she had heard of her somehow through the grapevine while protectively placing a claim on Jack by holding his arm, "I hope you heard the good things and not the bad if there are bad things spread in the grapevine about me."

"Oh," Tia kept her sweet smile toward Nicolette, she didn't trust it since she saw that Tia had Barbossa's hat in this damned shack. Who knows, he might be in that back room, waiting to pop out. Tia continued, "You don't need to worry 'bout that, Nicolette."

"Nic, if you please."

Tia nodded solemnly and went to say something, but a crew member stepped in searching the cabin with his eyes already. Her eyes were transfixed on him and her smile dropped, she directed her finger away from Jack and Nic and to the man that had a huge part in her gaze. Nicolette and Jack followed it to see that she was looking at Will. "You," Tia stated with his finger pointed as if she was in trance by him. She walked toward him slowly as Christopher filed in next to him, looking at the odd woman that was coming toward Will. Will looked pointedly at her, "You have a touch of destiny about you. William Turner."

She knew his name... how? Nicolette looked at her and Will curiously while releasing Jack's arm from her hold. Will arched his eyebrow confused, "You know me?" He asked.

Tia chuckled and played with Will's chest with her fingers in a seductive way, "You want to know me?"

"They'll be no knowing here." Nicolette looked behind her hearing Jack's voice, but he was no longer there. She quickly turned her head, giving Jack a warning look seeing that he was in between Will and Tia. She heard that jealous tone in his voice. Jack gulped, feeling that look that she was giving him. He tried covering his jealousy, "We've came for help and we're not leaving without it."

"We may have to." Nicolette muttered under her breath, innocently looking behind her.

Jack caught that, "Shut it." She rolled her eyes, _how does he always find my comments not meant for him to hear?_ It was a curious thing. Jack ushered Tia Dalma back to her table with the crab claws sprawled out onto it. He whined to her in a soft tone, "I thought I knew you."

"Better not have known her how I think you have known her." Nicolette muttered catching that. Jack tried not to glare at her as she walked back toward the hat that she was curiously looking at before. Jack couldn't help but look at it... now, that was strangely familiar...

Tia stated, "Not as well as I hoped." Ouch. That hurt, Jack could feel the sting in that like he could feel the sting of a bullet straight in his chest. Nicolette actually seethed feeling that sting toward Jack. "Come." Tia gestured for Will to not bead around the door with the rest of the crew.

"Come." Jack echoed and Will slowly made his way toward the seat in front of Tia's table.

Nicolette looked over at Jack skeptically, "What are you?" She asked him, Jack directed his attention toward her, "Her echo, now?"

"Did I tell you to not shut it?" Jack asked her annoyed and Nicolette smirked.

"Since when do I choose to actually listen to you?" Jack exchanged a smirk back and Nicolette dropped hers, examining the items on the counter the hat lied. Jack dropped his and curiously looked at the blue hat with the purple feather on the counter. Now, that he got a closer look at it, it _did_ look really familiar. Far too familiar.

Will looked over at them confused and before he knew it, he found himself being pushed into the chair and felt his shirt being once again teased to come off. Tia looked down at him with a mischievous smile rather than her sweet one, "Now, what service may I do you?" Will looked at her hand pointedly. Tia then looked at Jack with a glare, "You know that I demand payment."

Jack was reminded and he looked back at Tia with a smile. Payment, monkey, Jack, whatever it was to be called Jack was happy to finally be rid of the filthy thing. "Ah, I brought payment!" Jack gestured toward Christopher who was holding said payment. Christopher mouthed an 'oh' and hurried over toward him carrying the cage that was covered with a piece of cloth. Nicolette didn't honor him with her eyes and kept them away from her brother as he handed it to Jack. Jack smiled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Christopher said to him, putting his hands behind his back. He wasn't going to move and Nicolette felt his presence. She still didn't bother to look at him.

Jack removed the cloth to reveal the screeching, dreaded thing in the cage. He took out his pistol that was hidden under his sash around his waist. "Look," He pointed it straight at it and then shot it with an excited smile. Nicolette jumped with a squeal, being so close to it. She had a hand on her chest to recover from the shock of the bullet. Jack continued, "an undead monkey." That put a fright in the monkey, too.

Christopher started to laugh at her with a grin ear to ear, he pointed, "You should've seen your face."

Nicolette didn't find it funny at all, she looked over at him and glared. To stop his chuckling, Nicky slapped him upside the head annoyed. Christopher stopped immediately as Nicolette turned back around hearing Jack's voice again. "Top that." He handed the cage over to Tia Dalma who took it respectively. It would have to do. She held it above the tree trunk that acted like a table and opened the cage's door to let the monkey out.

Christopher eyes practically bulged out, he looked at Tia Dalma in disbelief, "Do you have any idea how long it took to catch that?"

"How would you know? You didn't do anything!" Ragetti exclaimed at him annoyed, Pintel nudged Ragetti's arm knowing that he wasn't supposed to say. Nicolette dropped her mouth and looked at her brother in disbelief with her finger pointed at him warningly. Christopher groaned and turned to glare at Pintel and Ragetti.

Tia stated to them, "The payment is fair." She ignored the two rants and placed the cage next to the trunk. She looked back at Will with a wanting smile and Will gulped. Nicolette smirked, he was still such a stick. But soon, Will was reminded to get the piece of cloth with the drawing of the key out to show Tia Dalma.

He took it out from under his vest, opening it in front of Tia. Her smile fell as she laid her eyes on the key. Will explained, getting right to business, "We're looking for this... and what it goes to." She looked at the familiar object curiously and snatched it out of Will's hands.

Jack turned to see what was on her counter uninterested while Tia walked around her makeshift table, looking at him annoyed. "The compass you bartered from me. It cannot lead you to this?" Her tone matched her annoyed look and Jack turned around cautiously.

He shrugged and answered shortly, "Maybe. Why?"

She chuckled amused. Oh, this was good. She fell into her chair, crossing her legs. "Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants." Jack gulped and looked cautiously around the room to look at anything other than her or Will and Nicolette's puzzled looks. Nicolette reminded herself about the compass pointing to whatever you'd want most. She chuckled to herself as Tia continued, "Or you do know, but you loathe to claim it as your own."

Jack ignored it, but transferred his eyes toward Nicolette as a glance, but she didn't seem to notice. Uninterested, Jack turned around and looked at the counter that held Tia Dalma's items on top of it. He lost interest in the hat and started looking at random objects. Nicolette stood next to Jack who was nitpicking the items for himself. Pirate. Unlike he, she was paying attention. Tia turned her attention to Will and stated the obvious, "Your key go to a chest... and is what lay inside the chest you seek, don't it?"

Gibbs asked curiously to her, "What is inside?"

Pintel grew excited, what could be inside in such a chest that they were looking for? "Gold? Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?"

Nicolette raised her eyebrow at that. Ragetti gulped, "Nothing bad, I hope."

Christopher and Nicolette scoffed in unison with their smirks developing, "Idiots."

They both heard each other and then ignored each others presence acting like the other didn't exist. Tia smiled, "You know of Davy Jones, yes?" The name made Nicolette cringe, Davy Jones. She heard too much of the man that she didn't even want to meet the notorious sailor. She wished he was only a myth. Tia continued, "A man of the sea. A great sailor... until he ran afoul with what vexes all men." Nicolette chuckled, she knew the answer already.

Will inquired, "What vexes all men?"

_Idiot._

Tia smiled to herself and retorted, "What, indeed?" They should know this, Tia thought.

Gibbs answered first, "The sea!"

_Idiot._ Nicolette actually had hopes for Gibbs.

Pintel was next, "Sums!" Possible. Nicolette couldn't think anything bad about that one. He was still an idiot.

Christopher decided to answer, "Power!"

_Biggest idiot._ That wasn't even debatable in her mind.

Ragetti's turn,"The dichotomy of good and evil." Everyone just fell silent and looked at him in disbelief. Now, that definitely was not the answer anyone was looking for.

"That wooden eye giving you too many blisters in your socket?" Nicolette asked him, still in disbelief and confused of how could a man like that come to an answer like that. She took it back. He was the bigger idiot out of all of them.

Jack was getting tired of this, naïve people his crew was, "A woman." He looked around the room and then at Nicky from his experience with her. Women had habits of being enchantresses and casting their spells on sailors like him and other men. Nicolette pursed her lips, being quiet and looking at the ground seemingly uninterested and awkward. She felt Jack's gaze on her partly before he turned back to finding rings that belonged to Tia. Although, it did seem like there was nothing wrong with them, the tension between them was still there.

Tia confirmed it, "A woman. He fell in love."

Gibbs tried to contradict, his sources told him different and he was sure about that, "No, no, no, no, no, I heard it was the sea he fell in love with."

Tia's eyes grew dark and she stated to him harshly, "Same story, different version, and all are true." She sounded almost offended by it. Nicolette cocked her brow and put her hands behind her back innocently as she heard the woman continue, "You see, it was a woman that's changing and harsh and un-tamable as the sea. He never stopped loving her." Her voice and smile came back, as if she was remembering something of a memory. But then her smile and sweet tone fell as she went on, "But the pain it caused him was too much to live with..." her look softened a bit as she assured, "but not enough to cause him to die."

Everyone just looked at each other, she was missing something in that whole little tale of Davy Jones. Will huffed, he felt that she was only stalling with what they really needed to go. He leaned forward and asked, "What, exactly, is inside the chest?"

Tia smiled and placed a gentle hand over where her heart should be, "Him heart."

Nicolette's face fell, disgusted, that couldn't mean what she thought it could mean... could it? It wouldn't surprise her. Ragetti was the man who asked what was beckoning on her mind, "Literally or figuratively?"

Pintel scowled at him, "He couldn't literally put his heart in the chest!" He gulped, remembering that he had seen stranger things in his life time. He turned to Tia Dalma, he dreaded hearing the answer of this question, "Could he?"

"I wouldn't doubt it, I've seen things just as strange." Nicolette muttered under her breath.

Tia kept her smile as she explained herself, "It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings..." she paused, letting everyone hang on her every word. Her face suddenly darken from either the effect of the tale or her experience with this. "And so..." she leaned forward as her smile was slowly dropping, "he carved out his heart, locked it away in a chest, and hid the chest from the world. The key... he keep with him at all times."

"How romantic." Nicolette muttered under her breath beyond her control, Tia tried to bite her tongue to contradict with it. She turned around absently and examined a ring that Jack was eying and aiming his hand toward. She slapped his hand immediately. Jack looked at her shocked. She only flashed a warning glare, "Don't you even think about it." She ordered him.

Jack chuckled and smirked at her, "Pirate, love." She rolled her eyes and developed a smirk herself.

"Don't care." She stated, pushing his hand away from the ring. She ordered him, "Don't touch."

Will abruptly gotten up from his seat and looked toward Jack agitated. "You knew this!" He accused, both Jack and Nic turned to look at him shocked by the look he was giving him.

Jack held his hands up in defense, "I did not!" That sounded to defensive, Jack tried to cover his defensive stature. "I didn't know where the key was, but now we do." His tone was fast, it was time to go he felt, it was only a matter time before Tia realized that he was hiding something even bigger than what he really wanted. "So all that is left is to sneak aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, find the bloody key, and then you could go back to Port Royal with Christopher to save your bonny lass, hey!" He finished with a clap and a fake smile. No one caught on to that.

Tia Dalma noticed his wrapped hand when he clapped and stood up with her palm faced up, "Let me see your hand."

Nicolette's eyes widened and she looked at Jack with concern, she stepped forward in front of him as he looked around the room cautiously, "In front of everyone?" She asked her in a hushed tone, everyone eyed him and her skeptically from her quiet tone.

Jack pushed her back only a little, "I think, what Nicky means is, is that," he looked over at her as a way of confirming, "that if it be all right to do this in a more... private area that is not around—."

"Them." Nicolette finished for him.

Tia cocked her eyebrow, "I think it be alright. Don't you trust me?" She looked toward Jack who wasn't sure at all if it was a good idea. Nicolette stepped aside, letting Jack decide for himself. The sneaky bastard tried giving her his other hand, but Tia wasn't fooled at all. She looked at him with a warning, she knew Jack Sparrow for too long to be counted as a fool in his book. He rolled his eyes and gave Tia his other hand instead. This was _the _hand. Nicolette never took her eyes off of it as Tia started at the bindings. Everyone hovered over the hand that belonged to Jack while it slowly revealed a black spot that was eating away on his hand.

Christopher's eyes almost fell out, this was his worst nightmare... this legend, "The Black Spot..." he trailed amazed by it, but also fearful. Although he never got into trouble with Davy Jones, he was afraid for it to happen to him. It meant something was after them... something was... on its way. The stories were true. It was so improbable.

Gibbs shrilled, "The Black Spot!" He twirled around, brushing himself off of the evil his eyes just laid upon. When he was done, he spat at the ground. Pintel and Ragetti mimicked Gibbs while Christopher looked at Jack speechless and in disbelief, too bothered to even think of doing the superstition what his passed friend, Peter, had taught him to do when he was a mere cabin boy.

Jack assured everyone, holding up his other hand with a fake smile to get everyone away from him, "My eyesight is as good as ever, just so you know!" They didn't have to say it over and over again, it was quite obvious to see what was on his hand was the black gaping hole itself. Tia let go of his hand and went into the back room to retrieve something. Jack took no hesitation seeing that Nicolette was somewhat distracted in following her gaze by Tia seeing familiar boots in the back that matched the familiar hat on the counter. He took the ring that was by the heart shaped locket and pocketed it. The monkey was begging at the boots that seemed to be worn by someone.

Before Nicolette could even catch a better look at it, she saw Tia emerge from the back. She leaned away innocently seeing what Tia had in her hands. A jar. A jar of dirt. Oh, dear, this was going to be good. She praised this woman for her creative ideas of safety that Jack would buy easily. Jack looked at it with his eyebrows furrowed. Tia explained, "Davy Jones cannot make port, cannot step on land, but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow." She extended her hold toward Jack for him to take, he took it slowly and unsure, "So you will carry land with you."

"Dirt." Jack stated, looking at the jar with deep confusion. "This is a jar of dirt."

"You are so observant." Nicky commented to Jack sarcastically.

Tia and him waved it off. She confirmed it, "Yes."

If the situation weren't a serious situation Jack could've sworn that he could laugh at this. He asked her, like it was the most obvious question that she seemed oblivious to. "Is the... jar of dirt going to help?"

Tia looked at indefinitely and she stated to him, "If you don't want it, then give it back."

_Yeah, like he would actually do such a thing._ Nicolette thought and Jack protectively held the jar of dirt onto his chest. "No." Nicolette smirked, he was too predictable for her. Like she thought before, she praised this woman for getting to believe anything she says. She was good. She would have to teach her several things.

Tia smiled to him and answered the question he asked earlier, "Then it helps."

Will sighed annoyed and got in between Jack and Tia, they had to go. The sooner they get this done, the better, "It seems, we have a need to find the _Flying Dutchman._" Tia kept a smile as she sat back down by her crab claws.

She gathered them in her hands and rattled them, she breathed in her hands, "A touch..." she dropped the claws into a pattern that seemed to be their next destiny, "of destiny." Nicolette, Jack, and Gibbs huddled around it, this would be what they would have to work with. It was time to go.

Nicolette looked up at Jack for an order, "Back to the ship." He stated with a nod. Nicolette agreed, but she felt that she had to see something that was in the back. She backed away slowly as the pack of them were leaving, and she found her way to where the monkey had gone earlier. The boots, they were so familiar. The curtain that slightly blocked her view swayed and she swiftly moved it curiously.

"What are you doing?" Christopher asked as he placed a steady hand on her shoulder. Nicolette breathed sharply and turned to face her brother with a stricken look on her face.

"You got to stop doing that to me." She stated with a slight hint of a warning.

She might have not heard his question, so he repeated, "What are you doing?"

"None of your—."

"Being curious, aren't you, Nicolette Brown?" Tia's voice cut through the conversation like a knife and they both turned their heads toward her slowly. Caught. Nicolette shrugged and tried to smile innocently at her, but her smile accidentally hinted her nervousness. "You hear the story of the box and what happened when that little girl looked into it when she wasn't supposed to."

Nicolette gulped, "Heard it plenty of times. Sometimes people compare me to Pandora... actually."

"Curiosity killed the cat, they say, too."

She chuckled nervously, "Heard that plenty of times, as well."

The shack was now almost empty, Jack stood still at the exit of it waiting for the two, but the conversation between the two and Tia Dalma was very faint and quiet. Maybe because they were very faint and quiet. Jack held out a hand to his crew for their talking to subside only a bit so he could hear. Tia looked over at Christopher curiously with a smile developing. "And what shall I call you?"

"Me?" He questioned her, looking at her quizzically. "I don't know what you mean."

She chuckled amused, "You have two names, one to be real and one to be faked."

Nicolette smirked to herself and stated to Christopher, "Yeah, Chris, don't pretend to be who you aren't."

Christopher just glared at her before answering, "Christopher Brown." Tia scoffed at him amused that he chose that one instead. She knew. Christopher looked down at the floor nervously.

Tia looked at the two with the same smile, she examined them. They were tense around each other and they were looking down upon each other. Her eyes looked over at Nicolette, strong, healthy girl, managed to capture the heart of Jack Sparrow, which was something a voodoo woman like her couldn't accomplish. She commented to them, "Curiosity does strange things to us. We wonder what if time to time and we cannot foretell the fate that we might accommodate in our lives by trying."

Nicolette looked at her confused while arching her eyebrow, she went to go ask why this had something to do with him and her, but Tia interrupted her, "You," Tia never took her eyes off of her and Nicolette gulped seeing the woman's finger pointed at you. "your curious mind wanders too deep, people would take advantage of your distractions." For a moment, her eyes flickered to Christopher who was looking back at Tia completely confused by the sudden glance. "You be making sure your younger sibling won't be getting into any trouble. And make sure you stay out of trouble, yourself, Christopher Grayson."

Christopher's face dropped, "What did you call me?"

Tia ignored him and turned back around with a smile taunting on her lips. Nicolette looked over at Christopher then back at her, "Wait, what did you mean by that?" She took several steps away from the curtain to catch up with Tia who was sitting back down by her table. Tia looked at her with her head tilted toward the side like she was confused by her sudden tone. Nic tried rephrasing it, "What do you mean by people taking advantage of my distractions?"

"You would just wait and see, child." She stated simply. Nicolette just gaped at her for a moment.

"No, no, you can't just tell me something then take it back immediately once I start asking questions."

"Nic," Christopher started, tugging on her arm to get her out of the way, "I think that we shouldn't keep them waiting." He nodded toward Jack who was waiting by the door for them. Christopher could tell right away that he was partly listening in.

Nicolette only looked at him for a moment, she agreed with him but she couldn't just leave, "They could wait a bit longer." She took her arm back and sat in front of the table, looking at Tia Dalma with her arms crossed, "You will tell me what you mean about that curiosity talk. It sounded like a warning."

"Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't." Tia stated with a smirk. Nicolette didn't get what was so amusing about this to her. Tia sat back and continued, "But if you want me to tell you, I cannot. Bad things come to those who meddle in the future of themselves."

"Then why start telling me then completely ignore it?" She retorted annoyed.

Christopher walked to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to guide her away, "Nic, it's time to go."

"No." She snapped looking down at the hand annoyed. She caught the look Tia had given him before, right after the little 'warning.' Why would her brother be involved? She swallowed and barked at her brother, "Get your hand off my shoulder now." Her voice was calm and timid at the same time. The forcefulness in her tone sent her brother's hand to slowly move away. Nicolette calmly faced Tia, calm, stay calm, she told herself. She didn't want to get on her bad side the first time they ever met.

Nicolette started, "I want you to tell me."

"That isn't really the polite way in saying that." Christopher stated to her in a mocking tone.

Nicolette looked over at him annoyed, "Well, I didn't come from a polite family, now did I?"

"I sense the tension between you two." Tia's voice cut through their small banter. Their heads both snapped to her and Nicolette bit her lip nervously, was it that obvious? Tia continued, "Sensed it the moment you two stepped a foot in here, how you look at each other and stay a far distance from one another. It might not seem like it... but you two would get closer, which could also be dangerous for you two and harder to do whatever you have to do." Christopher arched an eyebrow and slowly felt himself drawn to the woman's prophecy.

Nicolette didn't question at all, and that signaled Tia to continue without delay, "You may seem alike in intention wise, but you two are very unlike of how you reach them. One takes more perseverance in getting that, but that one does it to prove something to someone and is very career oriented." Her eyes flashed to Christopher who already knew that it was him she was talking about. "The other is, underestimated, but feels that it's okay to not at all prove herself. The other one smart, charismatic, and let us not forget, curious." Nicolette chuckled to herself, that wasn't hard to figure out that she was the one that she was talking about.

"Because of all these traits you two possess, you two play important parts in each destiny." She stopped, sensing that if she would say some much more than it would be too much. Nicolette let it all sink in, but their really wasn't anything to sink in. They were just observations.

She gawked, "That's it?"

Christopher stood there only looking at Tia, "I think we already knew those things."

"Doesn't hurt to be reminded of some things, don't it?" Tia stated, "It would help you figure it out."

Nicolette shook her head in disbelief and muttered to her under her breath, "And you call yourself a voodoo priestess." Tia didn't hear that at all and Nicolette got up from the table and looked at Tia with respectful smile developing, though she felt that this had been a waste of time. She stated a goodbye, "Thank you for your help, Tia Dalma. But like my brother had told me before, we really shouldn't keep the others waiting."

"Yeah, we shouldn't." He added behind her. Tia nodded to them slightly bowing her head down. Christopher extended his hand, "Thank you. It was pleasure meeting you."

"Pleasure be all mine." She stated to him with a small smile. Nicolette smiled at her and turned around heading toward the exit. Christopher followed behind her, but he caught a subtle voice behind him. "William Turner is not the only one with a touch of destiny, Christopher." He halted and glanced behind his shoulder, seeing that she was gone. She went into the back room, he assumed from the curtain swaying. He raised his eyebrow, did he hear that right? He shrugged it off immediately.

"Christopher!" He heard Jack's voice outside from the shack. At least they had the decency in waiting for him. He slowly left the shack. He tried so far in forgetting the words that Tia mumbled to him before he left, but they stuck to Christopher like glue. Haunted him. _William Turner is not the only one with a touch of destiny, Christopher._ Her voice repeated in his mind over and over again. Was that even to him? Yes, of course it was, she said his name at the end. What was that supposed to mean? He couldn't figure it out, for now, he must only sit down into the longboat and wait to find the meaning.

* * *

_**Hmm, interesting. I tried to write Tia Dalma to the best of my ability, I hope I portrayed her right. If not, let me know. But I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. :) Hopefully I could update fast like I had this time!**_

_**Review?**_


	10. Truces and Accusations

_**Hey! Sorry that this chapter took so long, I tried to write it as fast as I can, but of course life got in the way :( This is the longest chapter I have ever written and it was one of those chapters that I regretted to write beforehand because of what takes place. Though it's the tenth chapter, the plot starts here. There's a truce, an accusation, and a starting fight that can tear our two lovers apart. And maybe an unexpected twist at the end ;) So I gave you all this long chapter to make up for lost time and if this lost time happens again. Hopefully not. Oh, cliffhanger alert. I just love those ;)**_

* * *

_Chapter Ten: Truces and Accusations_

"We're coming up." Jack stated to Gibbs, this had to go as smoothly as it was supposed to be going. Jack sensed a storm coming, but not for a while. The sun was steadily setting down behind the horizon. He realized something. Nicolette wasn't above deck. This was either a good thing or bad thing. Good thing because if she wasn't above deck he could do this as smoothly and easily as possible; bad thing because she was always on deck sometime during the day. It wasn't natural to find her off. He looked toward his first mate, "Where's William?" He asked instead, if the whelp was with her, he'd be dead. Jack couldn't wait to be rid of him. He would be far away from her and out of his hair for a very long time.

Gibbs stated, "At the railing, watching over the water carefully, probably be wanting to get this done and over with, if ye ask me." Jack smirked, good. Far away from her, but where was she exactly?

Jack asked him with his smirk falling, "Where's the other one?" He avoided Nicolette again and referred to Christopher as 'the other one.' He would have a word or two with him. Jack hated asking for that man's help, especially since he lied to him the _first_ time they had a word or two together! Was he insane? Did he not think that Jack would catch on to that shameless detail?

Gibbs inquired to him, not sure who this 'other one' was, "Who is this 'other one' that ye are asking about, Captain?"

"Christian." He replied simply.

Gibbs looked at him confused, "You mean Christopher?"

Oh, right, that was his name. "Oh, aye, him. Where is he?"

"Talkin' to Cotton."

Jack raised his eyebrow and turned to Gibbs confused, "Talking to Cotton's _parrot_?"

"No, Cotton."

"How?" Jack asked. Why would he do that? Cotton was a mute, he never gotten a tongue to replace his old tongue... right? No matter how much Jack could defend Christopher, he was actually a bloody idiot.

"Cotton's not answering back. I don't think he even figured the man a mute yet." Gibbs stated with a shrug. Jack shook his head, he was not surprised and yet surprised at the same time.

Jack looked over at Gibbs, handing the helm to him, "Man the helm for a bit. Keep same course, I'll be back. I have to have a word maybe two with our other guest." Gibbs only looked at him for a moment, but took the helm anyway. Jack walked off, heading onto the main deck to see Christopher standing there by the corner talking to Cotton. Cotton was standing there listening intently to the man without having his own input in their conversation. Jack could've laughed at this, but didn't say a word. Next to Christopher was what he was supposed to be doing, but quickly neglected to do. Wherever Nicolette was, Jack came to the conclusion that if she had laid eyes on the scene she would have his head most definitely.

"You know, for a man on this crew you really don't talk a lot." Christopher stated to him after their long conversation. He had realized that he had done most or maybe _all _of the talking. That was strange. He never usually talked so much as he had done before. Christopher waited a moment or two for a word to escape from the man, but to his disappointment, the man stayed mute. "Hello?"

Jack couldn't take the few seconds he endured watching his stupidity. Jack thought that maybe his brain grew a bit foolish by watching this in the short amount of time. He intruded, "He's a mute, lad." Christopher rolled his eyes and turned around slowly away from Cotton. Jack continued with a short explanation for the man's silence, "Man had his tongue cut out." To demonstrate it, Cotton opened his mouth to Christopher to show his missing tongue to him. Christopher winced and skimmed his tongue over the roof of his mouth to be sure that it was there. Jack tried not to look.

Christopher just didn't say a word, either from humiliation for even thinking that he was able to talk or from complete disgust and shock that the man's tongue was cut out and shown to him. Jack changed the subject quickly, "Where is your sister?"

"Don't you know?" He retorted, quickly recovering. That seemed to be a stupid question since this was _his_ ship.

Jack shook his head, "Haven't seen her since this morning."

"Haven't seen her since last night." Christopher's tone was annoyed. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that Jack Smith, or rather _Sparrow_, was a _pirate_. And a notorious one at that. It wasn't really easy for him to come by that fact. Did he hate her for it? Hate, such a strong word. Not even he, a man who hated pirates for practically his all life, could come to that term. Disappointed, sure. More in his self than her. Maybe if he had stayed, everything would've been different. He didn't regret his decision in leaving at all, if anything, he did anything but regret it. He thought that he would be more miserable than he was already. But if he had stayed... all he knew was that he was close to regretting it.

Jack swallowed, sensing it immediately, but didn't say a word about it. He ignored that tone and asked him, "Not even in the galley?"

"No."

Short answer, that was nice. Jack inquired again, "Below deck?"

"Nope."

He was just full of short answers today, wasn't he? Jack tried again, "Rum cellar?"

"Haven't been in there to find out."

This man was useless. Why was Jack even wasting his time? "How about in the crow's nest?"

Christopher raised both of his eyebrows and asked him, "Why would she even be in there?"

"She has a strange habit of doing whatever I tell her not to do aboard this ship and the crow's nest is one of the few places that I know she would break her neck getting up to and so I tell her not to go there to prevent that from happening."

"A _pirate_ can't even keep his woman on a leash?" Jack could sense the hate in his voice. That phrase was practically soaked with snake venom that was violent and vicious. Jack could've staggered back from that hard blow he had just received. If Nicolette had heard that, there would be no tomorrow for him. And that was what set him almost off. East India Trading Company wretch. If he was trying to hide the fact that he had found out through his own intuition, this man would be thrown off his ship whether or not they were near a port. Well, not even that, Jack needed Christopher to do something for him... and he better do it right. If he didn't, Nicolette's form of torture and punishment might have to be put into action.

Jack sighed, this man was not only useless, but he was arrogant. This only made everything ten times worse than it already had to be. "Come with me, mate." Jack stated, his tone passive and emotionless. It actually seemed too serious that it made him seem almost sober. Was the drunken pirate Captain sober? That would be only a shock to Christopher, being already exposed to the man's love of rum. But he had to admit this man had such patience for him.

Jack walked forward to a vacant area by the railing that was in none of the hearing area of the following people: Everyone. Christopher stood in place for a moment and Jack rolled his eyes annoyed, steadily turning around to face him. "What? I don't bite." Jack stated to him. With a sigh, Christopher walked away from the railing to follow Jack. He muttered under his breath, "Wretch."

Christopher caught that easily, "I beg your pardon, what did you call me?"

_Bugger, he really is Nicolette's brother._ Jack shook his head and waved his hand as if saying that it didn't mean anything. Christopher only glared at him from behind, burning a hole in his back. When they reached the railing, Jack looked absently at the water. He stated to Christopher, "You know, when you are on someone else's ship you don't disrespect them like you had just done to a man in power of your safety aboard said vessel."

Christopher didn't catch that now, "What?"

Jack shook his head at him, he knew he heard that, "Listen to me. I'm Captain."

"I know that. You're Captain Jack Sparrow." He said his name like it was out of mockery.

"Yes I am. And you will soon find that I am not that forgettable." That sounded a bit conceited. Christopher bit his tongue to not even muster an insult to his ego or a sarcastic remark with potential of being an insult. Jack's face fell into a serious frown as he added, "But you will soon find out that even though you are not Captain of your ship at the moment—."

"Yes I am. I'm just not on it."

"Because you were mutinied." Jack retorted. "That makes you currently incapable of being a Captain of the ship, it only makes you true Captain of the ship, but not current Captain. I've been there." Christopher didn't seemed surprised by that, he seemed like a Captain that could be mutinied. Jack didn't seem to be surprised that he wasn't surprised. Jack added, "So, you are lucky that I am being very tolerable at the moment with you. No matter your sister protests to throw you in the brig until you rot or until we are in shark infested waters so we could throw your body in there to watch you be eaten."

His mouth actually fell, that actually seemed to hurt him. That was interesting and yet surprisingly intriguing. He didn't seem to really care for her. He asked him in utter shock, "She said that?"

"She's been underestimated by you, I assume." Jack stated.

Christopher shook his head no, "I didn't actually." He did. He just didn't want to be admitted by it. Christopher continued, "I just couldn't picture her saying that to you about me."

"I'm an honorable man. I don't lie all that often."

"A pirate who doesn't lie. That's shocking."

Jack's face fell again into the serious frown. He stated to Christopher, going back to the original subject at hand, "Well, though I am very tolerable with you, I have my limits." Why was there always a though? Or a but? Christopher didn't at all say a word for him to continue. "I'm Captain of—."

"I know you said that already."

"Rude to interrupt, son." Jack stated quickly to him. With a sigh, Jack continued, "And being Captain of this ship, that means that I should have respect from my crew. Even the newest temporary members of that crew. Savvy?" Jack's eyes narrowed at him and he suddenly felt himself shrink under it. He would actually feel the same to him if it was the other way around. He straightened his back as Jack continued on, "I have a feeling that if it were the other way around you would feel the exact same way." Christopher nodded without hesitation.

"I think I would throw me off at the nearest port if I paid myself disrespect."

"Ah," Jack's eyes seemed to brighten seeing that his point was taken easily. Only Captain to Captain could understand this short conversation, not Captain to Deckhand, Captain to Cabin Boy, none of those. Jack smirked, "Seems we came to an accord."

Christopher didn't comprehend what he had meant, what sort of agreement have they made? He mustered, "Huh? I'm sorry, I'm confused. What accord?"

Jack smirked, "You see, I'm going to offer you what you cannot refuse, mate. Since the respect of the Captain thing and all that." Christopher nodded hesitantly and Jack added on, "Tonight, we are not going to be doing something that you're sister is going to be taking a liking to at all. So we need to keep her away from the deck at all times."

"What does this require?" He inquired with his eyebrows furrowed.

Jack waved that off, he didn't need to know that detail, "You don't need to know that. What you need to know and what I need to know secondarily is that your sister is away from the sights of what's happening and my head wouldn't be on the tip of a sword overlooking the ship. Now, do you want that?" He only shrugged. Jack's face fell into a frown, "Is that a yes or no?"

Christopher shrugged, "Depends how you look at it."

Jack didn't want to press it on, knowing that he would banter with the fool for a long while, "So your job is to distract for a little while. Maybe conduct a little truce that could cause a bit of peace, argue, I don't really care. But whatever you do, you make sure that she doesn't step onto the deck."

"Then in that case I have to know what does this require." Christopher stated.

Jack didn't like the sound of that. "Why," asked he. "What's it to you?"

Christopher explained, "Well if I'm to block her from any horrific sights that might be taking place and that she would surely kill you for, then should I know exactly what I am to be blocking her eyes from?" Jack couldn't argue with that point. That was rather a good one, actually. Maybe he wasn't a fool. Looked like one. No, he was still a fool but a smart fool at that. Jack would have to bargain with this. Now, what did Christopher have to do on this ship except catching the Godforsaken monkey that was on this ship before? Jack smirked mischievously, when he realized. No Captain ever liked to swab the deck.

"How about this?" The tone of negotiation hit Christopher easily. He was scared to see what would come out of it. "You, do this for me, and I do something for you. Sort of a, you scratch my back, I scratch yours, type of thing. Except, we won't partake in such activity like that. You keep your sister out of what she would kill me for if she ever were to find out and I will relieve you from whatever job that you have currently have in exchange." Jack extended his hand and kept the same smirk. Christopher only looked at it. That did sound nice. He took the hand with a shade of reluctance.

"Agreed." The moment the word escaped his lips, a strike of lightning flashed at the horizon. Jack hadn't realize that the black backdrop of the sky partly came down. The roll of thunder with the pounding rain followed, Jack knew this was going to happen. He looked around and not too far ahead he could already smell the debris and rotting bodies that was the result of Davy Jones' done work. They were getting closer. As the rain poured, Jack nodded toward the Captain's cabin indicating without words to Christopher that it was now time. Christopher looked blankly at it, unsure what he meant.

Jack only stated to Christopher before shouting orders at his crew, "Don't mess up. The deal's off if you do." Christopher parted his lips slightly and watched Jack walk away waving his hands up in the air, directing his crew. He looked back at the cabin doors and shook his head. He didn't know how this was going to go. Was she even in there? Jack probably only assumed that she was since no one had seen her anywhere. Without further comment, Christopher decided that it was better to not bead around the bush and go forward toward the cabin to start his work.

* * *

She never felt sicker. She needed some fresh air, but her stomach was too whirling for her to even get out of bed. A plate of untouched food lied on the desk on top of the charts. Will and Marty had been harboring food to her from the galley. She made them keep quiet about her state of health to Jack and to everyone else. Despite Will's protests, she assumed that he honored their agreement, judging by the not frequent visits from anyone. She had never been like this. Her head was pounding, her vision was blurry, and she even had a bucket next to her for incidental purposes.

Nicolette groaned hearing the door open slowly, she didn't bother to look up to see who it was. She only hoped that it wasn't who she dreaded to see at her moment of state. She didn't bother to say a word. Instead, the mystery person had started, "Well, well, well, sleeping beauty. Never pictured you being lazy and lollygagging throughout the daytime." In response she only groaned. That was the man that she really didn't want to see now. He looked around the room and noticed the untouched food, "You didn't seem to eat."

She sarcastically added to him, still not picking up her head, "Really? I wonder what gave that away." Her voice seemed a bit raspy and almost gone. Christopher raised his eyebrow and frowned. Instinctively, he walked over to the cot and sat down at the edge of the bed. Nicolette groaned feeling a pressure on foot, "Get off me, you ass."

"Nope."

"I hate you." She stated with her voice muffled by her pillow.

Christopher smiled sheepishly and like a fool, "I love you, too."

"Get off me or else."

"Or else?" He taunted, she just didn't want to hear his voice and thought that if she stayed quiet. He moved off her foot, but not out of defeat or giving up. Then they stayed silent. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was actually comfortable, despite what they were feeling toward each other at the moment. Nicolette was too tired to argue with him, too worn. She had no idea what was wrong with her, but whatever it was she really didn't care for. She knew that it would away probably by morning. It was strange though, she felt fine yesterday. Christopher just didn't know what to say to her, or how to distract her from whatever Jack was doing and didn't want her to see. He asked her, "Are you sick?"

She sighed annoyed and laughed halfheartedly, "You're still here?"

He ignored that. Although, this was the last thing that he had wanted to do, it was also the first. He wanted to make amends anyway, Jack only made it easier for him. If he was to stay on the ship for however long, they had to get over this rough patch that they had hit. He stated to her in a sincere tone, "Listen, whether you're sick or not, I think we need to talk."

Nicolette actually nodded in her pillow, she didn't feel right with how they acted toward each other. Christopher lent out his hand to help her sit up. She swung her feet around to sit at the edge. She folded her hands on top of her shift, Christopher only looked at her in utter disbelief. He inquired to her as the thunder outside roared, "You're not going to change? I don't want to see you like—."

"Christopher, if it makes you feel better, gladly." She gotten up and walked over to the dresser taking out a pair of her breeches and a plain white shirt with a black vest. She held up a finger and walked into a side room that Christopher didn't even know was there. It wasn't used that often, it was stuffy, and dusty. Once Nicolette entered the room she realized that she was going to have to clean this someday. As the door closed, she suddenly heard muffled orders from Jack in between the rolling thunder. Christopher sat on the cot, feeling the ship steadily make a stop in the middle of the ocean with the stormy waves rocking the ship back and forth. They must be doing what they were supposed to be doing.

Nicolette took her sweet time getting dressed. For only a single reason, she didn't know what to say to her brother. She couldn't agree more with him. They needed to talk and what they needed to talk about was how they were going to survive under their glares, their comments, and the tension they would be under for the while. She smoothed out her shirt and tucked it in her breeches. She didn't put on her boots so she was bare footed and she threw on her black vest. Her black jewel was slightly tucked in her shirt making only the silver chain visible around her neck.

She felt that she had taken long enough, she walked out of the side room with her shift folded on her arm. Christopher sat down still as a tree, staring at the door as Nic placed her shift in the drawer. When he noticed his sister was once again back into the room, he saw a shimmer of silver around her neck. Strange, he never noticed that before. Instead of talking to her what he wanted to talk to her about, he started, "That chain seems elegant. Where did you get it?"

She smiled lightly and turned Jack's chair to face her brother and away from the desk of charts. All she said was, "Jack." She played with it and took the chain with the black trinket out of her shirt. Christopher's eyes seemed to widen, where would a pirate acquire such taste as that. Before he could comment on anything, she stated with her smile dropping, "Let's not stall. We both don't have all day."

"You're right." He replied to her with a slight frown matching the creases of his forehead. He decided to start it, but Nicolette wanted to start, too. "Look, I—."

"I want to apologize." She finished for him, but she was only talking about herself. Christopher raised his eyebrow and gestured for her continue. "How I treated you this whole time was wrong, morally wrong. I shouldn't have said the things that I have stated to others about you. And slapped you, which I didn't mean to do at all, I was already mad and all you kept doing was getting me more and more peeved as it was going along. I don't let anyone but Jack call me that, and no one ever has." Christopher stayed quiet as if she had something more to say. Nicolette tried to think of something else, "I'm sorry... for," what else was there? Nothing, nothing at all.

"For?" He pressed, obviously he had thought there was something else to apologize for other than that.

She rolled her eyes, "For what? That's all I have to be sorry for."

"No, it isn't. You're forgetting one very important thing."

She tried thinking back, but couldn't at all think of what he was talking about. She shrugged, "Enlighten me."

Christopher shook his head disappointed, it wasn't that hard. "I'll give you a hint: Lying."

She sighed defeated, that was definitely something she would have to apologize to him one time. That was wrong. Not only that she had to apologize to _him_, but she should apologize to Jack for that. Through her head pounding, she pursed her lips, "I don't know if I should." Huh? What was she doing? Although, she should apologize, she shouldn't. She didn't regret it. The result of it was regrettable, but the moment wasn't. She had her reasons in doing it and she wasn't going to take them back. She was scared. Nicolette was scared for Jack's death, for what her brother might think of her, and even what might happen after all of it. She didn't regret it.

Christopher only gaped at her, she didn't blame him. She was almost gaping at herself, but she wouldn't take that back, how she felt, how she did it, she wouldn't at all. She knew she should, but she didn't want to. She explained to him, "I don't regret that, so I'm not going to apologize for it."

"You're happy with lying to me and making everything more complicated?" Christopher asked her annoyed. The question lingered in her head for a moment. Was she happy about that? No, why would she? His tone sounded like he wasn't at all happy with her answer. If the situation was a different one, then she would agree with him fully. For him it made everything more complicated, she assumed, but apparently not to Jack and not to anyone else aboard this vessel. Did he really feel that she should apologize for something that happened a year ago?

She shook her head no, "The situation only called for that, Christopher. If it was different, then—."

He interrupted her, "Then what?"

"It would be nice if I could finish a sentence without interruption." Nicolette stated, already tired of this. If this was what it was going to be between them, then why even try? She stood up and placed her hands on her hips, "Chris, I'm trying to be calm, and you're not helping me."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked her in the same annoyed tone. It wasn't hard, really. Just state, 'I'm sorry' and then it would be over and done with. She was a stubborn mule.

She sighed, "You're taking my decision in not apologizing for that fib out of proportion. I don't regret it, so why should I apologize for it? I shouldn't, but I should. It's confusing. Maybe another time, I would. But not now, my feelings through that time made me do that and I don't regret them." He wasn't willing to take that. She had the feeling. They both looked down at the ground, they became awkward toward each other now after their rather short conversation. She shook her head while chuckling. Christopher only looked at her confused. This was actually funny to her?

Her chuckling actually turned into laughing hysterically. Christopher raised his eyebrows at her and narrowed her eyes thinking that his sister's insanity reached its ultimate high. She started in between laughing, "Look at us," Christopher was trying to get it while she was trying to continue, "we can't even get at least fifteen sentences in without arguing."

Christopher looked her up and down and then himself. His face fell into an amused smile, "Wow, how pathetic is that?" He started to laugh, which was actually the first time he had felt himself laugh since... he tried not to think about that. He knew that next time he would ever see her, _if ever_, that he would have to hide away from her.

Nicolette subsided her laughing only a bit and stated to her brother, "Very." She developed a small smirk and extended her arms out for him to hug. He just stood there slowly stopping his laughing and raised his eyebrow. _Never heard of a hug?_ She had so much to teach him. She lowered her arms and extended her hand to him as if to shake his, "We should try this again some time. When I'm not cranky and when it is not thundering outside. Deal?"

Christopher settled with a smirk that matched hers. He got up and leaned forward to take her hand in his with a firm shake. He started, "Until then,"

Nicolette finished for him and it sounded almost as an offering of peace which he partly came in for, "truce?" He nodded with his smirk dropping to a sweet smile. But it quickly fell off his face with the realization that this happened too fast. He needed to stall some more. When he was about to say something, Nicolette intruded while heading toward the door leading to the deck, "You know, I want some fresh air, it seems the rain is actually stopping along with the thunder. And if there's a storm, they would be needing—."

When she went for the door knob, Christopher grabbed it tightly and used his body to block her in. Nicolette cautiously backed away from the door with her eyebrow raised. He chuckled nervously and the smile he revealed to her was also nervous. He stated to her, "You're so pale though, look at you. When I first walked in here you were as pale as a ghost under that dark tan of yours." Her eyebrows furrowed and by the speed of his words being laid out to her she knew something wasn't right with him. Christopher continued without delay to say, "I think you should lay down, fresh air does not do anything for that."

She scoffed, "Gee, I feel cared for." Her tone was sarcastic and amused. What was going on out there?

* * *

Out of the ship it seemed to have calmed down, the rain was slowly stopping, and the rolling of the thunder seemed to subside only a little. The lightening vanished through the black sky leaving the streak that was fading in it to be barely in the sights of the _Black Pearl._ Jack thought it to be that since he had gotten that eunuch off the ship that the rain decided to slowly stop. But he couldn't help being worried, something could go wrong, something that neither he nor anyone aboard this ship would ever like to believe they are laying their eyes on. He paced and paced, his path almost felt like it was drilling itself permanently onto his deck.

The ship was quiet, a pin or a mouse could fall and/or scamper across the deck could be heard louder than anything else. The wind blew the black sails that camouflaged the dark ship in the dark sky. Not a star was in sight to illuminate their surroundings nor was their a single lantern lit to help their view. Then needed to stay hidden from what could happen if that was the case. Jack didn't bare to go get his spyglass basically from his nerves. What was with him? He was never... nervous.

He heard muffled voices from inside his cabin, he tried making them out. The male voice he knew it to be Christopher, 'You're so pale, look at you,' he seemed to say, 'you should lay down and rest a bit. Fresh air does not due anything for that.'

'Gee, I feel cared for.' Nicolette's laugh radiated through the door, Jack knew it way too well. He rolled his eyes, he was going to expect her soon. She seemed to state to him, 'You're ridiculous, I haven't been on deck all day. Can't I just stroll about for a few seconds and look at the nighttime sky?' Jack's mind screamed, _No, you may not!_ But he knew it to be useless. Knowing her, she might have been smiling with her eyebrows raised and a deep glare already starting to settle on her brother ready for the kill if he defied her at that moment from not letting her do what she wanted. Her determination was admired but it was gladly hated by all.

Christopher's muffled voice replied, it sounded so unsure and nervous that it made Jack shiver in his boots. 'B-but aren't you queasy? I noted that bucket by your bed and when I touch your forehead you're b-burning up.' Jack should start a countdown, but he decided against it. Instead, he stopped at the railing and suddenly gazed at the ship wreck William was sent to earlier. He almost felt his presence aboard it, he looked around his crew and made a warning by the look of his eyes to stay as quiet as mice.

But as he warned them, the person he was expected to come, but rather hoped that she wasn't going to, walked through the cabin doors with a thud. Jack tried not to roll his eyes and turn around, but couldn't help himself. Chris was in front of Nicolette blocking her from the deck, but she pushed his arm away with a confused smile plastered on her face while looking around on the deck. It was so silent, that her chuckle sounded almost like a bell. The crew grimaced at her, some trying not to widen their eyes.

She laughed while Christopher, too, looked around cautiously and confused. They weren't do anything. "Why is everyone so quiet?" Jack didn't answer, nor did anyone else aboard the ship. Her smile fell and she pursed her lips with her eyes softening. She looked around to see that everyone was either looking around nervously, seeming to her like they were waiting. Nicolette walked to the nearest side of the ship and saw a wreckage that was a few feet away from the ship. It looked like it had a ghostly presence and the ghostly glow about it was the only light that she had since the lamps on the _Pearl_ were all... out.

Jack was standing next to her keeping a close eye on the ship not yet going to get the spyglass that was in his waist coat. Nic never took her eyes off of it, too, and the silence on the ship was strange since someone aboard the ship was annoyingly ever quiet. She parted her lips for a moment realizing that Will was missing as far as she knew. And she knew usually whether he was around or not. She turned to Jack and inquired without touching upon the subject of Will, "Where did that ship come from? I didn't hear cannons or anything out here."

Jack stated like it seemed obvious to her, "If we at all are experiencing such like that, then you would've been helping out here."

She nodded like she should've known that. She looked around the deck looking for Will's silhouette, it wasn't there at all. Somehow she knew it already. Nicky nodded with her lips pursed into a small frown. Turning back to Jack with her hand on the railing, she asked him, "Where's Will?"

Jack cursed under his breath, but then calmly rubbed his braided beard while keeping his eyes on the wrecked ship. He stated vaguely, "Er, somewhere."

She hummed. Somewhere. Well, that was nice. She looked around and stood at the railing, Christopher was lingering behind looking at the ship skeptically. "And where is 'somewhere' exactly, Jack?"

Jack winced, he knew that tone anywhere and everywhere. It was the tone of suspicion, the tone of her knowing it all like she was reading his mind, and the tone that he always had feared. It wasn't like she knew what was going on, as far as Jack and everyone else including Nicky, she had no damn clue. But that she was skeptical about the thing that she had not a clue about was what disturbed him.

* * *

A line of sailors from the wrecked ship sat down by the railing shivering and drenched from the cold sweat dripping from their foreheads and the previous storm. All were nearing the ends of their lives, praying God will somehow save them from a fate worse than death itself. All, but one. Will Turner sat the end of the line shivering from the cold breath the other man are breathing out next to him. He was drenched like the others and shivering with his hands cupped at his lap. Unlike the others he was not even close to his death. He couldn't believe it, how could he be so foolish? This was not the _Flying Dutchman_... it was the _Flying Dutchman's_ prey! Lying bastard.

When Will was deep in his thoughts, the man of the sea stepped out onto the half sunken main beck. Will's eyes traced the figure that was standing there. His face was of an octopus with tentacles acting as his beard. His eyes were dark and there lied a cruel and evil sense in them that made him almost scared. He wore a tricorne hat that made his face almost a shadow and on it was little specs of barnacles. One of his legs were for a crab rather than a man like him, but it made it look like he was standing still on a peg that acted like a leg. His arm was a crab claw and Will could tell that the grip on it could probably make a man choke within seconds.

Will knew it immediately, this was Davy Jones.

A man who had a hammerhead came up behind him stating, "Six men stayed alive. The rest have moved on." Will assumed that, that was his first mate. Jones gave him a subtle nod, taking it in and then moved down the line of men taking in each of their appearances. He was searching for some desperate vibe that he would get from one who would practically do anything to survive.

Will never took his eyes off the man... if he was one, he was more of a monster to him. Jones stopped in his place, finding the perfect contender. He turned stiffly on his crab leg and saw a man who was shivering and looking down at his hands. Will noticed that it was the man who was the man he had confronted when he stepped a foot on the ship. Jones leaned forward with his eyes narrowing at the man. "Do you fear death?" His voice was a thick Scottish velvet and reminded Will of a menace.

The shivering man didn't answer him. He was too afraid for his life to speak. Davy Jones took the tobacco pipe out of his mouth and puffed a circle of smoke onto the man's face. He winced from the touch. Jones added, "All your deeds laid bare. All your sins punished." The man could have shuddered into a desperate plea and cry for his life, but he didn't have the strength to do such a thing. Jones continued, feeling that the man was now right for his taking, "I can offer you..." the word offer rang a chime of hope for the man's life, his attention was caught. He looked up as Jones added, "an escape."

The sound of hope grew, but his head snapped toward the end of the line along with the Captain and everyone else hearing an intrusion from a man holding a cross dangling from a chain. "Don't listen to him!" He tried to warn. Jones stood up abruptly putting his pipe back into his mouth temporary to walk to the other end of the line. The first thing he noticed was the cross in his hand. Had to be the chaplain of the ship.

Jones took out his pipe, blowing out of smoke. He asked him simply, "Do you not fear death?"

The chaplain shook his head no quickly and answered confidently, "I'll take my chances, sir." Jones nodded taking it in, next to him was the man Will had presumed as the first mate.

He looked over at him and it was almost Will could predict what was happening next. He ordered softly, "To the depths." With that, the first mate slit his throat making the chaplain die immediately and him and another man of the crew threw the dead body overboard. Everyone looked away and back forward to try and the get the horrific image of the man's death out of their heads.

Almost satisfied, Jones stalked off and headed back for the shivering man who seemed desperate enough to take his offer. Only one brave soul stated to him cruelly, but it didn't seem as cruel as what happened to that. "Cruel bastard!"

Jones stopped abruptly and turned inwardly to look at the man with his eyes flaring with anger. His already hardened expression seemed to harder even more. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils of his flattened nose seemed to flare. He stated harshly, "Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any different?" The shivering man was next to him and Jones didn't take any hesitation, letting his anger for the man seemed to subside only a little. "I offer you the choice." His tone was now convincing and was easy to cling to. "Join my crew... and postpone the judgment. One hundred years before the mast." The man looked up at him with a spur of hope rushing through him. Jones asked feeling the thought was already set in, "Will you serve?"

The man barely took any time to think. His decision was already made for him. He managed to get it out with a stutter, "I w-will serve."

Jones smiled maliciously and stated with mockery, "G-Grand." His crew behind him snickered as he stood straight up. He continued down the line with his smile falling back to his frown and the crew stopping their snickering. Will looked forward once more, hoping that Jones wouldn't look at him. To his dismay, Jones noticed a man who wasn't even close to death. He turned on his heel and took a look at the man who was sitting down looking at his hands. Jones accused, "You are neither dead nor dying." Will looked up at him nervously as he asked, "What is your purpose here?"

This was what he dreaded. He was caught. Will practically rolled his eyes, what did he have to say again? Jack said to say something if he got caught. Remembering it, Will, for the hell of it, replied quickly, "Jack Sparrow sent me to settle his debt."

Jones' face fell from either insult or confusion or a mixture of both. Sparrow? He was surprised that the man would stoop down to such a low level. He asked again confused, "What is your purpose here?"

This was Will's chance to change what he had just said before. It sounded like he didn't hear him... almost. But Will wasn't taking any chances. He gulped nervously and with his tone indicating his nervousness he spoke, "Jack Sparrow... sent me to settle his debt."

Jones and his crew chuckled from the pathetic actions of the man. But Jones was still insulted. In a mocking tone and in his thick accent, he stated, "Did he now? I am sorely tempted to accept that offer."

* * *

"You did what?" Her voice was angry, upset, and confused. How could he do this to her? He wasn't going to tell her, but he almost couldn't help telling her parts of it. Christopher and Nicolette looked at him in disbelief. Her head pounded like a beating drum, but she ignored it. She barely could look at him. She was about to hurt him somehow, but someone grabbed her arm. She struggled in the man's hold not sure of who it was and spat at him hatefully, "You bastard! This has to be the most foolish thing you had ever done!"

"Nicolette," Jack started with his voice calm and reassuring. He grimaced at Pintel who actually held her arm back to hold her partly back to thank him and then looked back at her. She didn't soften at all as he continued speaking very quickly, "I can kindly tell you that I had nothing to do with this circumstance that has taken place. Will went there on his own will when we warned him how dangerous this all could be, but he didn't listen to us all. A determined whelp that man is, and I am sure that he could resist temptation for doing anything of the sort that you think that he might be tempted to do. You don't need to worry, I bet he would be back before you say bugger. Savvy?"

She growled and thrashed her arm out of Pintel's hold roughly to point her finger at him warningly. Jack looked pointedly at it as Nic replied, "Shut it. You're daft if you think that I will believe that."

"Well, it's the truth!" He lied to her in an equal loud tone, he was sick of this! It was hard to even think with that voice there every now and then! "If you don't believe it then fine. But there's nothing that you could do about it now." Her eyes settled in a glare.

Nicolette scoffed and placed her hands on her hips annoyed. "Well maybe I would actually believe you if you don't lie and deceive every five seconds. Is it that odd to want to have a bit of honesty here and there? Because lately I haven't been getting it." This hadn't become only about Will going on that god damn ship, now. This was about something greater. All the lies, all the deceit that she had been through this past month was brought up.

Jack didn't want to fight at the moment, in fact that was the last thing that he wanted to do. He had _greater_ things to think about that didn't involve her... her... woman problems! He rolled her eyes and waved her off temporary with his hand. She looked at it annoyed as he stated to her, "I have greater issues to deal with that don't involve you." She looked at him in disbelief. He was just going to dismiss this? Jack, for once, loved to not hear her voice in his ear any longer. He continued, "We'll talk about this later."

"No, we will talk about this now!" She argued with him. Pintel went to go drag her away, but she thrashed her arm out of his way again.

He retorted, "Later!"

Her voice was to its highest volume, "And why not now? You did this, so why won't you be the man and tell me why?"

Jack couldn't deal with this any longer, he shook his head with his eyes rolling and looked back at the ship taking out his spyglass. Something was up, he could feel it. But with Nicolette ranting and Christopher glaring at him confused because of his lack of intuition that always proved himself to have, it was rather hard. Nicolette stopped and just gazed at him in disbelief and hurt most of all. She could see right through it. Will, her brother, and maybe every other god damn person was to idiotic to not see it at all, but she could clearly.

He put his spyglass to his eye and saw the man of the hour with the whelp. But Jack found himself quickly caught. Jones looked straight from Will into the spyglass Jack was holding and a moment later. The crew of the _Flying Dutchman_ went aboard the _Black Pearl_. Nicolette felt herself being pulled back and she struggled from the person's hold as the rest of the sea creature like crew appeared onto the ship. Her eyes widened to see that they all resembled creatures of the sea. Suddenly she felt a pressure of a knife on her neck. She gasped but did not say a word seeing that some of the crew were in the same position as her.

But then she laid eyes on the Captain of this crew. _The_ Davy Jones was standing in front of Jack and her eyes almost completely fell out of her sockets. He was... well... she was actually unsure. She was speechless, thoughtless about him. Jack quickly placed his spyglass back into his shirt and looked around to see his crew under the careful watch of Davy Jones' crew. He gulped. Not good. Not good at all.

He stated, "Oh."

Davy Jones stated to him coldly, "You have a debt to pay." _I know. That's why I sent the eunuch._ He thought to himself, but leaned back from practically fear. Jones continued and moved forward only making Jack move back, "You have been Captain of the _Black Pearl _for thirteen years. That was our agreement!"

Jack quickly found a loophole and tried to put it into action, "Technically, I was Captain for two years then I was viciously mutinied upon."

"Then you were a poor Captain, but a Captain nonetheless!" He retorted angrily. Nicolette rolled her eyes despite the knife on her neck with some of her blood trickling onto the blade. Jones continued, "Have you not introduced yourself as _Captain _Jack Sparrow?" The crew of the _Flying Dutchman _seemed to laugh at that, but the crew of the _Black Pearl_ didn't find that funny at all.

Jack gulped and lied, "Not that I recall..." Lies. Nicolette knew that to be lies immediately. "Why do you ask?" Jones was giving him a look from hell that could rot anyone who would stare into it. Jack felt belittled and defeated he stated, "You have my payment. One soul to serve on your ship is already over there."

Nicolette pursed her lips and looked at Jack annoyed. She muttered under her breath hatefully, "Ah, so he admits it."

No one heard that other than the man who had his grip on her and he tightened the pressure on her neck to keep her silence. Jones was angrier, he couldn't even stand the presence of his man any longer. "One soul is not equal to another!" He stated.

Ah, there was the hole! Jack retorted, "Ah," he talked so fast that all Jones had heard was the last, "so we've established my proposal is sound in principle. Now, we are just haggling over price." Price? Nicolette hardened the glare that she had Jack put under, but he didn't seem to notice it. He was too busy with getting what he wanted instead.

Jones questioned with interest, popping his lips at the end, "Price?"

Jack smirked, perfect. He was like ice in his hand ready to melt. He stated, "Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?"

"Zero." Nicolette stated without hesitation. The man tightened the knife against her throat even more letting a bit more blood drip onto it. It was louder than the last comment, but it was still not noticeable to others except that man and Jack. Jack tried not to glare at her for the better for her and him.

Jones answered next, looking around at his crew with a cruel smile plastered on his face, "One hundred souls, three days." Nicolette tried not to scoff at that. How was he going to accomplish that? That was such a high price for him that it made Nicolette disgusted. He didn't deserve that many. Half a soul, that was what he deserved. Not even, negative one soul, he didn't even deserve a zero.

Jack tried to not show his discomfort about that. He stated with a fake smile showing his capped teeth, "You're a diamond, mate." He turned on his heel and walked away from adding, "Just send me back the boy, I'll get started right off."

Jones wasn't going to partake in such activity like that. He informed, "I keep the boy!" Jack's face fell, as he turned around. Nicky's glare was from fright and hate and it was directed straight at Jack. He tried not to feel shrunken from it, but he did anyway. Jones continued. "A good faith payment! That leaves you only ninety nine to go!" Oh, like that made a difference.

Jack smirked at him, this was a way to soften the old tentacle man. He could be a softie at times, could he? Jack inquired, "Have you not met William Turner? He's noble, heroic, terrific soprano. Worth at least four..." not even, he'd give him half off, "maybe three and a half." Nicolette stood there with her braid brushing against the slimy fish man, her glare partly softened seeing Jack either trying or just making his mess an even bigger one. After Jack's pause, he asked him rhetorically, "Oh and did a mention that... he's in love?" Jones face suddenly soften when the word love came out of his lips. Jack wanted to clear any heads from thoughts, "With a girl."

Jack noticed the face beginning to soften and he started to circle around Jones as a taunt. He stated, "Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him, would only be _half _as cruel as actually letting them being joined in holy matrimony." Nicolette looked at him carefully and saw Jack's eyes darkened like he had actually thought his plan was working. But she didn't know whether or not they were going to get his back. "Aye?" He stated with his head reaching to Jones' shoulder. She saw Davy Jones' mouth trembling like he was about to cry. Her face softened and she stopped her glare to look at the Captain compassionately. She felt horrible for him.

But Jones soon snapped out of it, catching on to what the man was trying to pull over him. But when he turned to confront him, he noticed a spark of hazel eyes and a pretty face on the sidelines with a knife to her throat forced to watch the scene. He smirked and scoffed at her, "Would this pretty face happen to be the girl?"

Jack's face fell and his brown eyes looked over at Nicolette was was gaping at Jones. What should she say to that? She was shocked that Jones was even talking to her? Jack tried to cover it with a lie and stalking off from behind Jones to next to Nicolette and the man who was holding her back, "Her? She's nothing, not even the boy's love nor mine. She's only... a trustworthy, womanly," Nicolette looked at him shaking her head as if stating to him, _just stop. Stop for your own good. _Jack continued, "member of the crew that is only a woman by coincidence."

"Nothing? Jack Sparrow definitely knows how to flatter a woman. Doesn't he, sir?" Nicolette asked with her voice hoarse from worry that her throat would be slit in a moment for her random comments here and there. Jones looked at her sternly searching her eyes for any feeling for the man at all. Little did she know, he had found lots of feelings for him. Jones gestured to his man to let her go and with a gasp for air and relief she was released from the pressure of the knife.

With a malicious smile, he turned back to Jack stating why he had thought this, "It seemed when you were talking about this _girl_ in love with the boy you sounded interested in her." Nicolette snapped her head toward Jack sternly and found herself actually speechless by the sudden accusation. She didn't even realize that at all. Was she _that_ blind to it? Somehow, she was actually reminded of the time that she caught her and Jack talking rather closely... She felt the same way she felt a year ago.

Jack gulped, "Not remotely."

Nicolette repeated that, never taking her eyes off of him, "Not remotely." Her voice trembling, unsure of what was right and what was wrong. She almost had forgotten what they were arguing about before hand, but right now she didn't seem to care. She needed to get away from as far away as possible. She looked at Jones who was looking between the two of them, sensing the tension that had been there for at least month. It was right at its breaking point.

Jones stated ignoring the two of them and going back to what was at hand, "I keep the boy! Ninety nine—!"

Nicolette intruded with tears threatening to come out, though her voice was too low for some to make out, "Make that ninety-eight."

Jack was one of the few along with Christopher who had heard this. Jack's eyes were about to fall out from either hurt and his heart breaking from hearing those words that she would actually leave him at this time or shocked that she would even think about this. He mustered only one word that was in the form of a question, "What?"

Christopher with a knife pressed onto his throat. "Nic." His tone was unsure if her head was making her mad or she was joking or that she was actually serious about this. Nicolette didn't bother to look at him or even Jack, she had her eyes firmly at Jones who was only standing still with his eyebrow arched confused.

He thought he didn't hear that right. He ordered her, "Repeat that."

* * *

_**She said what, now? Yes, this chapter was a long one and I hope you all hung in there to enjoy it :) Sorry for the cliffhanger. I know you all hate them, but I happen to like them :) But I'll give you a hint, what Jack says to her next chapter you all are not going to believe. So like I said, if you stayed and read, yay! Oh, I think I forgot to thank people, thanks to the reviewers, alerters, and favoriters who follow this story. It all means so much to me, you have no idea.**_

_**Review?**_


	11. Sanity

_**Hey :) I couldn't leave you guys hanging for too long on that small cliffhanger. So I'm in a pretty good mood, Johnny Depp took home a KCA (Yes, I'm 16 and I still watch the Kid's Choice Awards, you're never too old), Yankees won against the Tigers (No Yankee bashes please, lol), and Love Unexpected is in a community! Woo! I've been waiting for that, for some reason, lol. So I hope you all enjoy the chapter! And thank you to the reviewers, alerters, and favoriters, without you I probably won't have my days brightened often and I wouldn't have much inspiration at all. Just wanted to say that :)**_

* * *

_Chapter Eleven: Sanity_

"Ninety-eight. If you're keeping William Turner then I won't hesitate in going along. We're a package deal." Nicolette stated with her voice no longer soft, but loud and brave. Though tears were seen in her eyes, she didn't let them fall and her voice wasn't trembling along with it. Jack looked at her in disbelief, was she being serious at the moment? Jack waited along with every other person that were a part of the _Black Pearl_ for her to turn around and say that she was just kidding and to not have a worry. But she wasn't doing any of those things, she had never looked so sure about this than she had looked any other time.

Jack stepped up, waving his hands to dismiss her, "Excuse Nicky, here, she's a bit delusional sometimes and shouldn't be taken serious—."

"Actually, my name's Nicolette." She scowled and looked over at Jack with her eyes narrowing at him. Jack looked back at her only slightly, but made it look like he seemed not phased by this at all, but inside, he was fuming. Was she insane? She was not going! Why would she even... no. Jack shook that thought out of his head immediately. That was ridiculous, her and the eunuch? Hah! No, not hah, it was actually very possible for Nicky, or... Nicolette to get that through her head again that they would ever last a chance.

Nicolette continued interrupting Jack's thoughts, "And I should be taken seriously." She was now looking at Jones who was watching the two interested. That was Sparrow's lady, then. She had a mouth on her, how could he even deal with that? Nicolette crossed her arms over her chest and continued to Jones, "However Turner gotten himself on that ship with or without the help of Sparrow's my decision would not change at all. An innocent soul in this madness shouldn't have to pay the fine of a piece of filth who would probably have a clear conscience in roaming free while he's suffering. Someone has to share in that, and I wouldn't mind."

Jones scoffed at the woman and asked her, "And what of Sparrow and you?"

She gulped and ignoring Jack's transfixed look on her unsure of how she she would respond, she stated to him, "Ask somebody who cares." Jack suddenly felt his heart begin to break. Who did she think she was? Jones seemed to catch on that she was slightly_ more_ than a random woman pirate on his ship, which made Jack worried. If he wasn't at all compassionate about letting William and Elizabeth be joined in holy matrimony, there was no way this could be excused. _How could she be so stupid?_ Jack asked himself, he thought he taught her out of that.

Jack stated to her warningly, "Love, don't do anything stupid."

She turned her head sharply to look at him and stated to him coldly, "I don't think this really concerns you, now does it?"

Jack looked cautiously around the deck and then came closer to Nicolette, speaking to her in only a whisper, "Do you even know what you are doing?"

"Does that even matter?" She retorted. Nicolette's voice matched Jack's and he tried searching her eyes to find some reason in them. Nicolette continued, "Why should you even care anyway? It benefits you in the end, not that many souls to retrieve to only make your ego larger than this damn ship because you would have done the unthinkable by everyone. But I'm not doing it for you. I would never do anything for you again."

"Am I to quote you on that?" He asked, confused. _Hopefully not. Please, say no._

Nicolette looked down contemplating it. There was no reason to stay any longer any more. She really hadn't been more sure, but was this what she really wanted? She knew what would happen if she joined the crew of the _Flying Dutchman, _it was a lifetime of servitude, only going on port once every ten years. It was hard to believe that she even had _come_ to this solution. There was some regret in what she had said, but there was more confidence in it, as well. Nicolette replied, with a slight frown, "Yes, there's nothing but truth implied."

Jack pursed his lips, _Interesting,_ he thought. As Nicolette turned her head to face Jones once more, Christopher struggled in the hold of the man who had him held back. She had to be insane. He hoped Jack would do at least something to change her mind or tell Jones otherwise despite her protests. As his struggling slightly subsided, Jack quickly grabbed her arm to pull her back just enough for him to step in front of him. "Me and her talked it over and we changed her mind." He lied through his teeth, Nicolette only gaped at the back of his head debating whether or not she should point a pistol at him or slap him. "She didn't mean to say what she had, like I said, she's delusional—."

She interrupted annoyed, "I am not delusional!"

"Denial." Jack stated, continuing his cover no matter how upset he was about Nicolette even thinking about doing this sort of thing. "That's only the first sign that those philosophers say there is, they even say interruptions are even a sign of delusional syn—."

"That's a load of bird shit!" She shouted behind him, what in the bloody hell was she doing?

"See what I mean?" Jack examined to him, glancing behind his shoulder to see Pintel and Ragetti standing fearful behind her of the treacherous surroundings. He decided not to bother them with dragging her out of here. He thought that he could handle this simply. He continued, "Her insanity exceeds mine and everyone else's, really, and surely with that mouth of hers that cannot be tamed can cause fun times with your crew, but that untamable sentiment could only result in disruption and distraction. And with that, that results to several lashes to her back, now let's be real, she wouldn't be a happy camper, now would she? So despite her meaningless protests, we would—."

"Bastard." She spat at him hatefully interrupting him once more, before stepping around him no matter the arm that was trying to block her from doing anything. "Captain Jones, don't listen to a word this man says, he lies, deceives, and doesn't care about who he hurts in getting what he wants. I'm not doing this piece of scum any favors while I stand here, I'm not doing any favors for anyone while I stand here. So like I said before, ninety-eight souls is what they would have to achieve not ninety-nine."

Christopher stated out of turn, "Not even ninety-eight." Everyone's heads snapped to look at him with their eyebrows furrowed. Nicolette just stared at him gaping in disbelief, she tried not to drop her jaw. "If my sister is going, I am too."

She shook her head, disinclining that immediately, she looked back at Jones, "That man is _truly_ delusional, I promise you. There's all the truth in that." Jones looked between them unsure of what to make of this, but the girl was strongly minded, strongly willed. She seemed rough around the edges and judging by the golden tan that somewhat matched Sparrow's she was out on deck often. Working, most likely, she had the arms of a sailor, he could tell though they were hidden behind her thin white sleeves.

Jones wasn't having this any longer, he was wasting his time. "The boy and only the boy would be kept!" He informed, annoyed by the three intrusions he had during his negotiations with Sparrow. Some were even from Sparrow himself. Nicolette's face suddenly dropped in disbelief, how little did she know that his decision was made a long time ago before she had said something.

Before Nicolette could actually put her input in this Jones' claw took her roughly by the wrist and it swung her to face Jack. She seethed and the pain stoke her face dramatically feeling the blood to her hand already being cut off. It was suddenly growing paler and as his tight grip held it, small drippings blood started to come out around it. She opened her eyes struggling to get out of his grip, but it only made it worse. Fear stroke her eyes as she looked at him in disbelief, then she finally looked at Jack who was almost speechless on what to do.

Jones stated to him as Nicolette continued to struggle her way out, "Sparrow sure has his patience up to a maximum to deal with the likes of you." A slimy tentacle began to stroke her face, gently as she looked at it pointedly unsure by what she should do to it. "No matter the pretty face, I don't understand how a man with all that patience could come to adore it."

"Coming from the man who cut out his heart." She stated with a nervous smirk and a slight chuckle, looking at his suddenly darkened eyes and tensed exterior. She had hit a sensitive point and she knew it. Nicolette didn't know what to expect from him, but she had a feeling that it wasn't good. Jack looked at her in disbelief of how she could be so stupid and naïve to say such a thing to a man like that. With a thrash of his arm (or claw), he let go of Nicolette throwing her onto the deck.

With a squeal, she had landed hard and halfway across the deck. She groaned and nursed her arm that was lying against it, feeling the splinters of some of the dark wood that the deck was built with going slightly through her shirt. Nicolette didn't want to look at her wrist, she knew it already to be torn and roughed with blood around it. She didn't need the real image of it when she was already imagining it. Jack looked over at her with his eyes bulging, "Nicky." He spoke softly and went to go help her, but the man with an eel head blocked his path with a malicious smirk plastered on his face.

Jones called for him to get his attention, "Sparrow!" Jack almost had forgotten that Jones was still here. He cursed under his breath and slowly turned around to face the octopus Captain with a calm exterior hiding his rather worried one. He continued, "Though, the girl has a mouth and a look that could put any sailor mad, she conducts a point. I wonder, Sparrow," he took several steps forward while continuing, "can you live with this? Can you condemn an innocent life, a _friend,_" _Not even a friend,_ Jack corrected in his head, "to a lifetime of servitude, in your name, while you roam free?"

Of course! Without any hesitation and any thought, Jack stated, "Yup, I'm good with it." Nicolette picked up her hand and tried snaking her vision around the man who was in the way to look at Jack with disbelief. After all the words they had exchanged, he still didn't have a slight mind change. He extended his hand and stated, "Shall we seal it in blood?" Wait, did he even _have_ blood? Jack tried correcting it, "Er, ink?"

Without reply, Jones took Jack's hand and with his slimy touch he slathered Jack with a type of fluid that made his Black Spot fade away slightly. He stated this, and only this, "Three days." He wasn't taking any excuses if he messed up this. With that, he took back his tentacle and stalked off along with his crew as Jack picked up his hand and stared at the disappearing mark on his hand. His crew cackled as they passed, thinking that he wasn't going to accomplish this at all, and who in their right mind believed otherwise.

When Jack looked up from his hand, it was like it was all normal, except for the fact of the state of his crew and everyone else that was involved in the recent events. Nicolette held onto her arm as she weakly tried getting up. Jack swiftly turned around as Gibbs made his way toward him, Jack only stared off in shock of the liquid (whatever it was) that was on his friend and how they were off his ship just like that.

"Captain?" Gibbs looked at him questionably and Jack exchanged glances from his hand to his surrounding.

"Mr. Gibbs?" He started to his good friend and first mate. "I feel sullied and unusual..." He really did, he was very entranced in such a sight that he had just endured, but not at all in a good way.

Gibbs brought him to reality of what he had just agreed to to obtain his freedom, "And how do you to harvest these ninety-nine souls in three days?" Good question. Jack couldn't agree more with how impossible that may sound. But it was only _im_probable. He could accomplish it. He accomplished a lot of things that seemed to be unaccomplishable to anyone else. Who was he again? Why, he was Captain Jack Sparrow, surely this would be more than simple with his strange luck that he had.

Though, there was a slight loophole in this sort of thing. He stated with a his trademark smirk developed, "Fortunately, he was mum as the condition of the souls need be."

Gibbs knew immediately of where they were going to head to, "Ah, Tortuga!"

Jack slapped his soiled hand on Gibbs' chest and started to wipe against his shirt to get the disgusting goo off of it. Gibbs looked at it pointedly as Jack repeated, "Tortuga." Though, Gibbs was smiling about Tortuga, behind him, as relieved as Christopher was that Nicolette and him were to stay it quickly died down. Tortuga? No, not back there. His eyes widened and he looked over to see Nicolette roughly getting up from her state on the deck. Jack was reminded of her and rushed over to help, but she pushed him away hard to get him away from her.

"Don't touch me." She stated coldly, getting steadily on her feet. "I don't need your help." She started to list looking at Jack hatefully. "I don't need to see that stupid little grin that's always plastered on that damned face. And I don't need you to make my decisions for me. Also I don't need to see your vile face again." She went to walk away, but Jack gripped the wrist that Jones had grabbed. He didn't realize it at first until she winced in pain and seethed. She turned her head sharply at him, "Jack, I'm really not in the mood to deal with you now."

"We should talk, darling. At least get me the chance to do that." He stated to her, dropping her wrist gently.

She scoffed at him and mocked, "In your words, we'll talk about this later." With that, she headed toward the cabin in a hurry and without a look at the questionable stares that she was receiving. The door slammed, and no one made an effort getting the ship ready to go underway toward Tortuga, their eyes were firmly locked onto the cabin doors. A few moments later, shattering glass followed by broken chords that died right away was heard by everyone and they all looked at their Captain worried of what would be going on in there.

He looked back at them and he, as well, was worried, but not of that, of what would happen to him if he walked in there. Jack shouted, not feeling any movement, "Well what in the bloody hell are you looking at? Get to work! I want movement!" They all went to their stations running around to get the ship to do what he wanted and he only looked around before heading to the cabin.

A voice stopped him though, "Jack!" Eh, Christopher, why hadn't he expected this before? Jack cautiously turned around expecting either a tongue lashing that was merely only a warm up or an apology or something along the lines of that. Christopher stated to him calmly, "My sister isn't happy with you."

"Really?" Jack asked rhetorically and added, "I haven't noticed."

Christopher nodded and continued, "Good luck with her. You'll need it. I want to thank you for helping her stay, she might not realize it, but you did the thing I hoped you'd rather do. If she ever went to Jones I don't think I would ever forgive myself since I'd be with her. So, thank you."

"You're welcome and thank you." He replied, turning away from him and stalking off toward the cabin. Christopher wasn't sure if he should follow or stay out on deck, but he chose to stay on deck and get everything under way. Jack stopped at the doors, hearing a sob or two here and there, one thing he hated to deal with was tears. There was a faint sound of something being swept gently into what he thought to be a pan. After several moments, Jack gathered enough courage to finally enter the cabin.

Nicolette was kneeling onto the floor, wiping her eyes as she swept what she had shattered earlier. Jack realized that it was the guitar he had gotten her when they were in port in what he thought to be Nassau. Her singing voice was better to hear than that damn thing. Thank God she broke the strings in a week, he didn't think he could bare to hear that horrid plucking any longer. She was mumbling curses as she earned several cuts from the mixed glass that she had shattered earlier. Jack couldn't at all think of what it was, but it didn't at all earn his recognition of where it was from.

Finally, he had shut the door making her head snap toward it. "Have I not told you later?" She asked him coldly, and gotten up brushing her clothes off of any of the fragments that she had caused to break off. She went to walk off to under the bed, taking her stash of rum that was slightly at a shortage out from under the bed.

"You have." He stated to her, walking slowly into the cabin. She walked off into the side room carrying her rum into it and placing it in a corner. Jack stated to her loudly as she was in there, "And it's partly later than it was before." She rolled her eyes before leaving the room and into the cabin where the hammock supplies was in a corner next to the cot they would usually sleep on. "Hammock tonight, darling?" He asked her, sensing that she was ignoring him.

"That's what I have here." She replied, walking back into the side room. She only had to put one of these up before in her life, she hoped that she remembered how. Though, they were avoiding the obvious elephant in the room with them, it was all that they would think about. She looked at the supplies with a groan escaping her lips and placed her hands on her hips. Jack leaned against the frame of the door and looked at her wearily.

"Do you need any help?" He asked her, unsure of how she would respond.

She stated, "Not from your hand."

"From someone else's hand?" He tried again and she turned to look at him with all her tears somewhat still held in. She shook her head no and Jack sighed, "Might I ask who will be sleeping on that thing tonight?"

"Me, obviously." She replied.

"That's ridiculous, let me sleep in it and you'll have the bed."

"Jack," her annoyed tone escaped from her calm and she crossed her arms over her chest showing it. She continued, "chivalry is rather nice and all, but it is now only used when it's appropriate and right now, it isn't." She went to walk past him, but his body was blocking her in so she wouldn't be allowed out. She took several steps back with her arms dropping and looked at him with a glare that could kill if it could.

He pointed it out to her, "We have an elephant that is in this room right at the moment, love."

She scoffed, "Is there now?"

"Aye."

"So you want to talk about it, I assume?" She asked him and he nodded in response, coming forward and then closing the door behind him. She gave up the silent treatment, "Fine, then. Let's talk. You start."

"Alright then." He started, with his voice relaxed and content, though it was sensible that there was slight confusion hinted in it. Jack asked her, "What in the bloody hell was going through your head out there?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." His voice grew dark and angry as he walked toward her, she stood in place looking at him not phased by it. "For you to even think about joining that crew for that god damn whelp you are truly stupid and above all insane! It was such a close call, that if it weren't for me you would be pledging at this very moment for a lifetime of servitude." It was odd how he was doing the tongue lashing at the moment and she was staying mute. He rather appreciated it, though he sort of missed the interruption.

But sooner than later, her voice came up and it was slightly louder than his. "Well, what exactly did you want me to do? Stand there and watch a friend of mine go innocently under your name for a lifetime! There was no question that he was going to anyway, but what he would need is a friend that would go on that ship with him when he needed one. Like I said to Jones, I would be happy to share in the suffering! Plus it would be better than being spotted with a bastard like you who doesn't give a damn about anyone else!"

Jack scoffed and stated to her hatefully, "Oh, come on, there's only _one _reason that you would be joining him in the first place." Nicolette looked at him blankly for a moment, but shrugged that off until later, but what could he mean by that exactly?

She stated to him, "This could've been easily avoided, Jack. You're stupidity succeeds mine with a great deal sometimes and you just tangled up a bigger web than what you have tangled up before!"

"And how exactly have I done that?" He asked her annoyed by the sudden accusations. "Last time I checked, I hadn't. I only did as I planned and I exceeded in what I had planned, only to be in need of a new plan of how that exceedingly plan had failed within my grasp."

"And how exactly did you exceed the failed plan?" She retorted stepping closer to him as he took a single step away from her. He stayed mute and she hummed knowingly, "You are too ashamed to admit that you had lied to me, betrayed me, and betrayed even someone who actually saved _your_ life when you were to be hanged and this is how you repay him?" This only showed Jack that his theory of her being infatuated with William was partly right.

"I'd like to think of it as him taking responsibility for my mistakes since he had done it before and he owes me." He replied to her.

Nicolette shook her head and sarcastically said to him, "From what? That _one _time when you had saved his life a year ago. Yeah, it's absolutely even now. Two for two, or two for one when _you_ have the advantage. Especially when you have the advantage, truly in all senses it's right by all means."

"Well, if you put it that way, yup, it's truly in all senses right by all means." He admitted to her rather smugly. Her eyes narrowed at him as he continued on, "And also didn't you promise me that you would support me in everything I do and trust in all my actions and go down if Jones takes me down." She remained speechless and suddenly remembered what she had said that night. It was almost that Jack could read her mind, he stated to her, "Ah, you seemed to have forgotten that piece of information now, have you?"

Nicolette looked at him coldly before stating, "Well, some promises are meant to be broken." Jack stared into her hazel eyes with disbelief, he didn't know what to say to her now. With one last look into the brown eyes, that would once charm her into a never ending spell that she was still partly under, she went around him to open the door to leave the room and then leave the cabin since she could barely stand under his presence.

But Jack's grip was on her not wounded wrist, pulling her back in front of him, but instead he turned himself to the side to eye her carefully. Nicolette tried not to look into his eyes unsure if an apology was to come out or something that wasn't remotely close. "I just want to know something." He stated to her and she only looked down at the ground. He continued, while his other hand stroked her dainty cheek, soothing it. Though she was made, she leaned in toward his touch. "You're not still in love with him?"

Her eyes widened and she looked over at him with a pained expression, how could he even come to a conclusion such as that? Jack's hand was removed off her cheek and she stated to him, "I can't believe that you just said that."

"You know the him in question?" He asked, of course she had. She wasn't foolish.

"Is there another _him_ that could actually be questioned?" She retorted, struggling to get out of Jack's hold, but it was tight and hard to even think of leaving it. "For you to even think that is remarkably unbelievable. Why would I even come close to that?"

"Old feelings come back now and then."

"The ones that I had for Will aren't such that do." The feelings she had for Will wasn't even remotely close. They were all _fake._ What she had felt for Jack and what she had felt for Will were two entirely different things that she would have never truly understand, really. She realized something, Jack sent Will onto the posing _Flying Dutchman_ as a way to get him away from her. "And that's why you sent Will." She stated under her breath realizing it.

Jack looked at her questionably, "Eh?"

"You sent him to the _Dutchman _to get him away from me." She accused, not insulted, not confused, not hateful, or even happy. Her voice didn't hold any emotion at all and her tone was softly as Jack looked down at her, it was partly the reason on why he did it. "If not all, it's partially the reason, isn't it?"

"Partially, yes." Jack answered.

She shook her head and scoffed, "I still can't believe that you thought that."

"Can you blame me for thinking?"

She shook her head, "Not really, no. But you know me better than that." They only looked in each others eyes for a moment before she spoke again, thinking back to Jones and what he had noticed after Jack spoken about Will. "When Jones said something about _you_ being interested in Elizabeth when he had thought it to be me. That didn't sound like, how I thought it sounded like?"

"How did you think it sounded like?"

Nicolette said to him, "Are you interested in her?"

Jack questioned, "With who?"

She rolled her eyes and she took her wrist back from Jack and went back in front of him. Nicolette retorted, "Is there another _her_ in question?" Jack stayed silent, who wouldn't be interested or attracted to that woman? There was an obvious reason why he would be, she was a lovely creature. But Jack had been attracted to many women and Nicolette already knew that. He had only truly loved one, which was her.

He decided to lie to her, knowing that it would be even more hurtful to admit that he was still attracted to many other women that weren't Nicolette, "No, I'm not. Unfortunately his presumption in me interested in her was for you since he had noticed us looking at each other several times probably. Though she's a lovely woman, she doesn't compare to someone like you." Oh, how flattering. Now was not the time for flattery, though. Jack then realized that she really shouldn't be talking in this type of situation. There was always a man during their chases that she either flirted with or clearly felt attracted to.

Jack shook his head, "You know, you actually shouldn't talk about this."

Her face fell and she raised her eyebrow, "Why shouldn't I talk about this?"

"Because you, yourself had taken a bit of interest in something or someone and I hadn't said a word when it was clear to me and to everyone else." Her eyebrows furrowed at him and she looked at him in disbelief.

"And who may that be?"

"I'll give you a hint, if you no clue." He stated to her mysteriously and she only glared at him as he came closer and whispered the title to her, which made only her eyes grow wide, "The Commodore. Savvy?" Her and the Commodore? Was he insane, that wasn't at all true. Her rage flowed through veins, but no matter that there was a slight bit of truth in that. But she never flirted with him by all means, had she? No, that was ridiculous. An image of their last meeting flashed in front of her eyes, Jack actually didn't know about it at all, he hadn't a clue.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." She stated to him, knowing exactly, she walked away from him and to the corner going back to the hammock supplies. She took one of the stakes and instead of using it like she had intended to do, she gripped it tightly in her hand that her knuckles were beginning to pale. Then suddenly Nicolette roughly threw it onto the ground.

She swung around as Jack looked at her frightened by her sudden outburst, she snapped, "Why in the bloody hell whenever we talk about _you, you _always somehow turn it back around on _me_? Hmm? First you thought that I still loved Will," she counted out the two reasons on her fingers, "which could be possible for anyone in their right mind to think about, I'll give you some initiative for it. Then you actually accuse me with being infatuated with James? Are you daft?"

Jack raised his eyebrow, ah, so he was James now. Not the Commodore, not Norrington, and not even Norrie, he was _James. _Jack scoffed, "James, eh?"

Her face fell and she realized that she accidentally slipped, they stopped calling each other the moment on the fort when she dived down after Jack. Ending their 'acquaintanceship'. Nicolette corrected herself, "I mean, Norrington. Commodore Norrington." It was like they trailed away from the situation at hand and she realized that they had so many problems between them that it would never die all at once. She gulped, was it really coming to an end? Nicolette looked back into his dark eyes, no matter how much she wanted to, she just didn't melt like she had used to.

The charm was still there, the wit of course, and his enchanting smile that slightly showed his gold teeth. Those lips plush and easy to kiss without delay. That body that she had laid under, devoting her love to him, flaunting it and him doing the same. The spark though that was there once and never left, seemed to fade into nothing to her. She shook her head letting a tear escape from her eye. Nicolette looked away from him and at the wooden wall planks that roomed them in this small side room.

When she looked back at Jack and stated to him, "I'm not mad you."

Jack said to her actually surprised by that, "Really? Could've fooled me."

She ignored him and continued, "I'm just confused. If anything, the least you could do was to tell me that you were going to do this so I could prepare. He is a good friend of mine, Jack, I told you before he's like a brother to me, more him than my actual. I have a right to be mad, so you cannot expect anything less than this or you're sanity is at a limit like mine. But... I don't know. Lately I've been doing so much not knowing that it can never be recovered."

"I was going to tell you, but I didn't know how you would react. To be honest, I thought you would cut my head off and stick it onto the tip of a sword facing the deck as a warning." She chuckled put a hand through her loose hair that was out of her braid, revealing a genuine smile despite of anything. That was something that she would've done before when Jones was there. No matter how upset they were with each other, Jack actually enjoyed seeing it again.

She lied to him, "I would never do that to you. I may be tortuous and cruel sometimes, but that isn't me."

Jack smirked and replied to her, "Yeah, sure. To ensure that you wouldn't do that anyway, I sent Christopher to distract you for a while, but, obviously that had failed drastically."

"I knew that already, though." She stated, "I had a feeling that something was up when he was blocking my exit to leave, but he didn't seem to know what he blocking me from."

"That's because I didn't tell him."

"Of course, you hadn't."

"Nicolette," he started his voice going back to a serious tone than it was before when it seemed a bit lightened only a bit. She focused on him and the current situation at hand. He continued, "I apologize for not telling you, you were right this could've been easily avoided and we," she narrowed her eyes on him to make him correct that, "or I, rather, will get him back safe and sound. Knowing him, he'll do what he will have to do, leave whenever he feels he should and however he would like to and, alas, he'll be safe and sound, I promise."

She scoffed, "Don't promise things that have potential to be broken." Once again, she stole his words from that night she had promised him the broken promise.

"Alright," he deserved that, he took a step toward her to practically make her feel cornered, "are you going to accept it?"

She looked up at him feeling unsure and uncomfortable. She gulped, "If you get him back, I'll consider, but now..." she trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes, she shook her head no. Jack gulped as well, feeling either hurt or confused, he took a step back as she was allowed to leave the room, but he wasn't going to give up so soon. Jack wasn't going to let Nicky slip away through his fingers. It would be the biggest mistake that he would do in his life if he had.

"Nicky!" He called as she was at the door with her hand wrapped around the knob, instead of scowling at him like before to not call her that, she actually stopped at the door. Jack walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands to see those familiar eyes of the person who cast him in a spell a year ago. Nicolette searched his for an answer to what he might be thinking of doing, but he was too quick for her to figure out. Jack leaned in toward her lips, taking in each breath that she had drawn and then smashing his lips against hers passionately.

She forced herself to kiss back, feeling that it was needed to feel what she used to, but it wasn't there anymore. Her hand firmly locked around the doorknob and softly heard it click within her subtle turn. Jack brushed his tongue on her bottom lip, but she didn't allow it in. She broke the kiss as her hand firmly held her exit sternly and she closed her eyes to shield them from Jack's charm that always drove her wild.

Jack leaned his forehead onto hers and before he knew it, the heat radiating from hers was absent, the door had been opened and when it was slammed in his face, it had fallen. Jack locked his eyes onto it and sighed at his failed effort of getting her back on his side. He stood in the little room suddenly feeling cold and then turned around to lean his back against the wood of the door, he needed to think as did she. Little did he know, that he could just go into the cabin and talk to her there since she was also against the door, sitting down with her hands rubbing her tear-stained cheeks.

They weren't going to talk about this. They were going to think about this, which was what they had thought was to be the only thing that could be possibly done at the moment. Nicolette stared onto the ground softly sniffling to herself and her cheeks red. She saw the broken strings with the broken wood mixed with the broken glass. That was how she felt at the moment, like broken glass.

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_**Is it over? Hmm, I'm just wondering did anyone catch on to the thing Jack said that is so unbelievable. If you had, tell me what you think. But hey! At least she won't be suffering on the Dutchman. I hope you all had enjoyed the chapter and I hope that I can update really soon if school this week doesn't get too crazy. Hope you all have a wonderful day! **_

_**Review?**_


	12. Hangovers and Thoughts

_**Hey! I wanted to update sooner, but stupid school got in the way -_-. But the beginning of this chapter was rather very fun to write. Some may say that this was sort of a filler, but eh, you can say that. But I did add something that some people might be wondering what Will was hiding when he first came aboard the Pearl. We're going to catch up on Jeremiah, folks. Hope you enjoy the new chapter :) And thanks to those who had reviewed, favorited, and alerted the story. **_

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_Chapter Twelve: Hangovers and Thoughts_

She sighed at her hand and rubbed her hand with cloth wrapped around it tightly onto her forehand. "You are by far the worst and only dealer that had ever dealt this game to me." She said to her brother in a slurred and groggy voice. Nicolette stared down at her two and three indicating that she had only five, which meant that she had sixteen more to go to twenty one. Around them, the galley was silent since they were the only two people in it and there was only a single lantern lit onto their table that slightly illuminated their view of their game. Nicolette had an empty (rather a couple of empty bottles) and full bottle of rum next to her and Christopher weakly held up his head with his eyes closing. They had been playing this game for hours and he seemed to be the only sober tired one out of the two.

"You're only saying that," he yawned in the middle of his sentence and then continued, "because you are losing terribly. I don't think I've ever seen such a bad player like you ever in my life."

She uncorked her second bottle of rum and then took a long swig only leaving three quarters of the fluid left in it. Nic slammed it onto the table, wiping her mouth as she swallowed the fluid. Christopher's eyes were getting heavy and the tobacco he was chewing was slowly starting to subside along with his brain, which was starting to temporary turn off. She stated to him, tapping her two fingers onto the table, "Hit me."

Christopher replied defiantly and deliriously with a slight yawn, "No." He didn't realize that they were still playing even though they were talking about playing not even seconds ago. Her eyes settled in a glare and she took another long swig from her rum.

"Deal the damn card." She slammed the bottle back onto the table loudly and it was loud enough to make Christopher jolt up and spit out the tobacco he was chewing into the bucket slightly feeling more awake. He looked at Nicolette, then made a 'oh' before actually dealing the card to her, Jack of Hearts. Oh, it was a Jack. Not just any, though, no, it was a Jack of _Hearts._ Oh, well that was nice. She tapped on the table and stated to Christopher with her voice sounding sober, but still insensible for any human of _sober_ state to even comprehend. "Change it."

Christopher cocked his eyebrow and looked down at her card then back at her like she was insane, "Change it? You can't," he yawned again while fanning his mouth. He continued, "do that, it's either hit or stay, idiot."

She scoffed, "Idiot, eh? Coming from the man who always had won each hand. Ya know, if I had money on me, I be bettin' that you be cheating and rigged this game for you to win every time." His patience with her was going so far than it usually did. Given that Jack and her had a massive argument that ended in tears, he offered to loosen her up in a game with rum and cards. Played poker, rummy, and even a game his traitorous first mate had taught him that was beyond stupidity, matching cards with the other person, so easy and stupid. Then they settled on blackjack, now she never had played before and now that she was drinking more than she had ever in their last couple of card games, she was being the most unreasonable person she could possibly be.

He rolled his eyes and explained, "Since I'm a dealer, I practically _always_ win. I tried telling you that, but of course you don't listen at all, you drunk wench." The odd thing was, that he found himself calling her names that he usually wouldn't gather up the courage to do when she was sober. Plus him being crabby and impatient wasn't helping at all. She laughed loudly and went to take another swig out of her rum again, but Christopher took the bottle away from her strictly seeing that she didn't need any more.

"Hey! Give it 'ere!" She yelped leaning over the table to grab it back from him, but Christopher pulled it back with his hand a far distance and pushed her back down in her seat hard for to get the memo to stay there as he gotten up from his place. She smirked and laughed at him while wagging a finger, "Someone's a bit of a crabber muffin tonight. What's the matter, brother," she stood up and went to pinch his cheeks. She grabbed a hold of flesh and finished, "you can't hoot with the wolves and howl with the owls?"

Christopher rolled his eyes again in annoyance and gently, but forcefully pulled her hand that was gripping his cheek away from him. "Nic," he started, making her subtly go back in her seat, which she actually fully complied with, though her eyebrow was arched in confusion of why she did this. He continued slowly enough for her to comprehend, "First off, owls don't howl, they hoot and wolves don't hoot, they howl," she didn't seem like she cared, so without further explanation he continued, "Second off, I'm doing this because you're my sister. Go to your cabin, I don't care whether it's with Jack or on the floor, just... sleep. You'll have a bigger hangover if you stay here and drink your heart out like you are doing at the moment."

She giggled with a hiccup and crossed her legs, "And don't worry, I'd do exactly that." _Over my dead body,_ she thought to herself.

Christopher actually smiled to himself, he actually felt accomplished, "Good." He stated rather surprised, he at least thought that she would put up a fight like any drunk would. He continued already stalking off to the crew's quarters, "So, I'm going to catch some sleep as well. See you in the morning." She only smiled sheepishly and nodded his way with a small salute.

When he was out of her sights, instead of going above deck like she had said that she would do Nicolette took out a canteen that was hidden in the pocket of her breeches. "Boy thinks he had taken all of my rum." She muttered to herself, taking a sip of it. When she was done she placed it onto the table, and looked at her losing her hand. She mumbled with her eyes locked onto the Jack of Hearts, "Must've lost his marbles." She took the Jack in her hand and subtly smirked at the card.

"Goodbye." She cooed with a small wave of her other hand, taking the card horizontally in her hands and then ripping it in half bitterly. "Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye." She held the two pieces in her hands vertically now and then ripped it in quarters. She made a face and then threw the leftover pieces to the other side. "You want to leave me." She stated as if her brother was still around her, even though he was already in his hammock along with the other snoring crew members. "Fine I'll play... solitaire, game for the lonely anyways."

She took the deck of cards and turned them over so the faces of them are facing hers. Nicolette laid out each of the cards in a line on the table, only to find that all the Jacks were annoyingly scattered. "What a good shuffler that Grayson is." She complimented and she took each of the three Jacks and one by one they all ended up to have the same fate of the Jack of Hearts. Ripped and thrown. That was her new version of solitaire though it wasn't remotely close to how the game was played in actual life.

She was satisfied now, she took a sip out of her canteen and started to hum a tune and then sang softly to herself, "The sun came up on the Spanish Sea." She took another sip out of her canteen with the hard liquid running down her throat, she continued, "Being junted by the King's Navy. It's sure he'd never find us. Pull away, me lads o' _Cardiff_ _Rose." _She paused fanning her mouth as she yawned while taking her canteen to have another sip of rum, but soon she had found that there was nothing left.

Nicolette turned the canteen upside down so the opened mouth of it would face the table. Only one drop slowly made its way onto the table. She moaned while looking at the drop pointedly as it faded onto the table, "No." Now there was no more rum. Her eyes started to feel heavy and she used a hand to hold her head up as it was slowly falling down onto the table. She jolted up and tried getting up on her wobbly feet, staggering toward the exit. "I want more rum." She stated, but she stood at her place, slightly swaying back and forth, there was a problem... where would she get it?

Jack had the rum cellar keys, not her, her stash was hidden in her room and she didn't want to go in there in case he was up and alive. She groaned, she hated circumstances like these, this wasn't at all good. She went back to the table and went to where Christopher had been sitting before. "You know," she started to herself, pulling the chair he was sitting on next to hers as if to make a make-shift bed that wasn't as big as the other that was in the side room, which she had forgotten to make. "I'm tired. And I don't have to see the blighter to get some shut eye or to get me rum. I'm perfectly fine," she yawned and almost tripped on the flat floor, but she gripped one of the chairs quickly, "by myself," she finished.

Though, the chairs were cold for her clothed body, she laid down on it feeling a slight breeze of the small holes of the hull on her bare feet, which they slightly dangled off a bit. Her eye lids suddenly felt heavy and she curled her body on the small space she laid on. She heard a slight humming outside by the stairs leading to the deck above and realized what it was almost immediately. She sang the end of it as a soft mutter, but loud to the person humming it, "And really bad eggs." Jack stopped by the entrance of the galley, not expecting the loud muttering of the female aboard, he stayed for a while, peering in, seeing the shadow of her curled body on the chairs acting as a small bed.

As Jack peered, she mumbled softly in a small whisper, "A song sang by fools." Jack smirked, it was almost like she knew that he was there, but probably not. He slowly walked in as she slowly drifted off to sleep and examined the slightly dimmed surroundings of which she laid in. He cringed seeing the four empty glass bottles along with a small canteen that was laid out on the table. _Someone had there share of drinking tonight, too,_ he thought to himself.

Jack instinctively took it and turned it upside down, to see if anything was left in there, not even a single drop. "Thanks for saving some, love." He stated to her like she could hear him. His eyes forward toward the cards that were laid out on the table, but his eyes slightly widened from seeing the ripped pieces. He hovered over her slightly and pieced one together only to find them _all_ to be Jacks without daring to check the other three. He gulped not being left with such a comforting thought that one wouldn't usually get from enduring such a sight.

He looked down at her, watching the passed out woman sleep comfortably, (or trying to anyway), his heart breaking slowly that she had to resort to, well, uh, this. "Come on, Nicky." He said softly to her, picking her up in his arms in a threshold style. Nicolette curled into the warmth of his chest with a small smile curving on her lips. Jack smiled himself, but was worried whether or not he'd be alive judging by the ripped Jacks in the card deck she left as evidence on the table. "You're still a heavy sleeper." He admitted to her, not only that, but Jack hadn't actually carried her in a long time, he had forgotten how heavy she was.

* * *

Jack sighed putting her to bed, he didn't bother changing her into her nightgown, knowing her, he'd be killed by morning. He placed her under the covers quietly and she shifted under his hold. Her eyes slightly fluttered, to reveal the blurry silhouette of him. She kept her same smile that she had when she felt arms pick her up to carry her to bed. She muttered to him as he was about to leave her to go into the hammock he had set up, "Jack?" Jack cursed under his breath and slowly turned around to face her, she was smiling still? Was she drunk? Yes, yes she was, Jack reminded himself that she was in a drunken sleep.

But nevertheless, he actually sat down on the edge of the bed and placed his hand where he had thought her feet had been. "Aye?"

Nicolette looked up at him with a small smirk developing, Jack didn't know if it was mischievous or she was just smirking for the hell of it. She asked him, slightly slurred, "How are you?"

Jack chuckled to himself and shook his head at her. He answered with a smirk matching hers, "Fine."

She wasn't happy with the short answer, "Just fine?"

"Aye, only fine." He replied, patting her foot with his hand. It was strange how whenever she was drunk, she had the oddest mood swings. Being mad at one point to laughing and poking fun at other and then to a calm mode. He inquired to her, "How 'bout you, darling?"

"Dandy." Jack could smell her rum soaked breath and almost winced from it. He was practically more sober than her, which was shocking since he was the man who made rum his lifestyle. He muttered to her, 'Well, that's great' and went to get up from his spot of where he was sitting, but an arm pulled him back down roughly. Jack heard her slurred voice again, "Stay with me tonight."

Jack looked down at her with a slight frown. His mind was debating whether or not it was a good idea. He decided it wasn't and stroked her cheek slightly with his hand. Jack shook his head and stated to her, "Rather not, deary." Nicolette's smirk drop and she looked up at him with a slight disappointment stroking her eyes. Jack's shoulders fell, this was a _bad_ idea. _Bad, very bad. _But Jack found himself giving up to the drunk girl in the bed already. "Fine, but I don't want to find parts missing when I wake up, Nicky."

She chuckled and Jack reluctantly went to lay down on the other side of the bed. He was only going to stay until she was to sleep. His head slowly hit the pillow next to hers and she stayed on her side facing the other side with her eyes slowly closing once again. Jack stayed tense on the other, not sure to bring her body close to his body's warmth or to just stay like

that, instead of making himself more comfortable. Option number two, would be the hardest while option number one would be the easiest. He would just have to go with option number two despite his judgment of a situation such as this.

Nicolette shifted next to him and moved slightly closer to him. Jack groaned, "You're amazing at making everything more difficult, darling."

* * *

The pounding beat of her head woke her up, her eyes shot open taking in her dark surroundings. Nicolette thought that she was leaning against something or someone, rather. Her eyes slightly widened and she turned her head sharply to see that nothing was there was there next to her. She sighed in relief, but realized that she was _not _in the hammock she had more comfort than the likes of a hammock. She took a look of where she was sleeping in, it was a bed. Not just any bed, it was her and... it was Jack's bed. But where was he?

Nicolette slowly sat up and winced, putting her hand to her forehead to soothe it. "What hour is it?" She asked herself, her voice almost completely gone. Obviously, it was still dark, judging from the absence of light shining through the window of where her perch had been. Her head kept on its steady throb and she muttered to herself again, "What in the bloody hell did I do last night?"

"You drank." A voice came into her hearing and she snapped her head retreating her hand from her forehead. That was the voice that she didn't want to hear at the moment. He added with a slight hint of grogginess, "A lot, which for you ain't always a good thing, love."

"Don't call me love." She stated to him, slightly cold and harsh. Jack didn't seem to be phased by it, as if he expected that detour to come to him. She gulped and looked at where his figure's shadow seemed to be. He was leaning against the frame of the door to the side room with his arms crossed over his chest and his head hanging. She added, "You lost that privilege, Jack, among others."

Jack chuckled to himself, "Going back to old ways before the first time we went to Tortuga then, eh?"

Nicolette wasn't amused and got up out of bed, no matter her mind's protests to do otherwise. "Old ways meaning, me just being attracted to you and just going under what I thought to be enchanting? No. We're on new ways, new terms, Captain." Captain was said more formally than usual. Jack was almost expecting that, too. Surprisingly, she was sober, though it was several hours after she had drank, so she must've slept it off. "But can you tell me what I did last night? So I'll know that I didn't do anything worth me hiding away for life."

Jack stated with a shrug,"Wasn't with you."

"Then how did I get here?"

"Brought you up here of course. I found you passed out in the galley, with cards scattered along the table and several of them—."

She interrupted, partly remembering her and Christopher playing some kind of game with cards with her drinking a bottle of rum. But the rest was all too cloudy for her to even recall any of the rest of the night. "Yes, I was playing with Christopher, I remember."

"Well, he wasn't there, lo...," he stopped himself, trying to do her some respect in at least obliging to one of her wishes, "darling." He used instead, she didn't bother to glare at him. She just didn't speak to him at all.

She sighed heavily, "Uh-huh, well, I'm getting to work." Nicolette went to walk out of the cabin and leave Jack into the darkness of it and onto the main deck. But she felt her arm being pulled back and she stopped at the door to turn and look at him. "Captain Sparrow?"

"You're just going to act like nothing ever happened this past year over one stupid thing, are you?" He inquired to her looking straight into her eyes searching for an answer._ Stupid?_ Was that what he had thought this as? Instead of answering the question she thrashed her arm out of his grip. She didn't even answer him. From either feeling unsure or insulted, she had no clue, which exactly, but she acted as if she was insulted. "I'm assuming then that's a yes." Jack stated, unsure of what to make of it at all.

"Assume what you want." With that, Nicolette went toward the cabin doors, but Jack's voice once again stopped her.

"You're going to work at this hour when you and the crew don't have to be up until two hours more." Jack stated to her with his face hard as stone and with no emotion passing it. He seemed to have never got any sleep.

Nicolette shrugged, "Well, then I will be done before anyone else." Jack stood in his place with his arms crossed. Nicolette didn't take hesitation, she left the cabin and closing the doors in the process, leaving Jack in never ending darkness without a single lantern to at least accomplish some way of sight. He was debating if he should go out with her or catch some sleep since she was the subject on mind that wouldn't let him catch some shut eye. But nevertheless, he walked into the side room and then into the hammock.

Nicolette walked out on deck, seeing that it was silent and empty of work being done. Her head was still throbbing and the wind of the air seemed cold around her. She shivered and went to go back into the cabin to get her jacket, but rethought it. There wasn't a chance that she would go back in there. She looked around the deck to see a rag and a bucket of soap and water in the corner. She needed to think and think was what she was going to do. Nicolette walked to the corner and took the bucket and rag in her hand.

She dropped to her hands and knees onto the black wood of the deck and then soaked the rag in her hands. The rag was wet between her fingers and with that she started to actually scrub the deck with all her might. Nicolette was muttering words to herself that no one else around her could here. The thoughts running through her head making her head beat a lot worse haven't subsided as she continued with her rough scrubbing. It was almost as if she was enchanted in a spell by a witch.

Mr. Gibbs was up on deck as well, his eyes on the extending water in front of him while his hand wrapped around the helm strongly. He heard someone shuffling on the deck below and he cocked his brow and looked down slightly to see the woman working harder than she had, talking to herself as well. Nicolette was never out this early and if she were, it would never be working. He looked down and saw a rope that was lying by the helm. Usually he would never leave it before Jack had emerged from his cabin.

He took the rope while using his hand to hold the helm and then saw that it was already tied to the small railing in front of him. With knowing that, Gibbs tied the rope into a knot on one of the knobs. Before he left the helm alone, he played with it for a moment to see if it was sturdy. Gibbs made his way to the deck below slowly while watching Nicolette cautiously to be sure that she wouldn't be snapping if she was to be interrupted. "Uh, miss?" He came up behind her immediately and heard a sniffle from her as she stopped talking to herself and scrubbing.

Nicolette sat up and rubbed her eyes that had been red from her soft crying, "Oh," she saw that it was Gibbs and it wasn't some other man aboard this ship trying to talk to her, "hello there, Mr. Gibbs, I'm just doing my work as you can see."

Gibbs nodded taking note, "I see that, but that isn't your work, that be that brother of yours work that you be doing. I recall you telling him to when he first came aboard. Are you okay there?"

She chuckled to herself and dropped the rag in the bucket before standing up. Gibbs stood there eye-level with her and she shook her head, "I must look like a bloody wreck to you."

"More than ever." Gibbs admitted to her. She shook her head in denial and walked to the railing of the _Pearl, _looking at the dark water that overlapped their waves on the other. Nicolette, no matter her mood, felt immediately calmed by it. She took in the soft spray of the sea and she was transfixed on it like she was every single time. Gibbs came to her side and sighed as if he was feeling the same like her. She didn't take notice of him. Gibbs stated to her, "It's not like ye to be up this early and get right to work, miss."

"Well," she started, snapping out of her short trance of silence. She turned to Gibbs and continued, "I change more often then the tide does. I'm full of surprises."

"Don't I know that?" Gibbs retorted, looking forward.

Nicolette only stayed quiet, looking down at the railing as if it would tell her soon to snap out of what ever she was thinking about. The voices in her mind were arguing with each other, _You still love him, you idiot._

_No, I don't. He betrayed me, not only did he lie to me and tried to hide from me that Will was going to be tricked on the Flying Dutchman! He's like my brother and then he's had the nerve to just accuse me of having feelings with him? Then, not only that, he has the nerve to even think that I am infatuated with the Commodore—._

_Which is partly true._

_No it is not! Shut it. And he's one to talk, he flirted with Elizabeth._

_A year ago._

_Same difference._

_You're not making any sense at all. Ever think that he had good reason to even think of doing something like that?_

…_._

_Exactly. You don't even know what is in the locker to judge him, maybe whatever is in there he would never want for himself._

_Oh, can you two just stop? I can't even remain calm with the likes of you two shouting at each other. _Nicolette shook her head of any thoughts in her head for her to be clear of them. She needed to be clear minded right now of all times. She looked toward Mr. Gibbs and pursed her lips. He hadn't said a word to her for a while. He was probably waiting for her to start. Nicolette said to him, "Mr. Gibbs?"

"Aye?" He answered, with his voice slightly groggy from having a sip out of his canteen moments ago.

Nicolette wasn't sure if she wanted to ask, afraid of the answer. What if it was something horrible? Jack wasn't the man to endure horrible things. She stopped her fear and asked Gibbs, "Gibbs, how is the locker? What is in it that Jack wouldn't want to endure?"

Gibbs had the oddest feeling that she would ask that question to him. He didn't prepare an answer for her, but he had heard stories from those who had heard the legends more than he had. Gibbs face seemed to go into a state of fear and as he explained to her the simplest way for her to understand it seemed to grow, "With Jones, it ain't about dying. More of punishment. Think of, the worst fate that you can conjure up for yourself. Stretching out forever." Nicolette looked down, taking a moment to think of that and her heart seemed to deepen and go out for him. She couldn't imagine that fate upon anyone. She looked back at Gibbs with her mouth slightly dropping. He assumed that she had finally understood and he added, "And that is what awaits in the locker."

"T-That's horrible." She managed to muster out and she shook her head stating, "How could he be so stupid and go with an agreement like that?"

Gibbs shrugged, "No one knows what goes through the head of Jack Sparrow, but only Jack Sparrow himself. But then, I believe that _even_ Jack Sparrow had no idea what was going through his head at all."

She scoffed, "Definitely a daft decision for even that daft man."

"Aye, but there are people daft like him, miss. I can name more than a few standing here on my feet." He looked at her, giving her the hint that he was talking about her as well. Nicolette caught that immediately that she was on that list and she didn't say anything, she only looked forward with a tear developing in her eye. Gibbs added, "Though, it might be surprising, but I think the Captain was doing it behind good reason. He was young, when we're young we do mistakes that are sometimes regrettable or not. The Captain, may think that he could fix this, but you never know with him."

"I hope he can." Nicolette stated absentmindedly while looking forward still with her face softened. The morning sun was about to come up on the horizon, which seemed to be just a bit more for the rest of the crew to be scampering around the deck. She looked down at her hands and as a tear rolled down her cheek, she sighed and with her voice cracking she repeated, "I really hope he does."

"As do us all." Nicolette nodded and took it in, considering that for a moment. She turned to look at Gibbs for a moment and smiled softly to him. He chuckled feeling that he found out something that the rest of the crew, even Jack would never know. He stated to her, "Get back to work, miss, you may be the only early riser up above this deck, but we have to make haste to Tortuga if we want to be getting this little thing of the Captain's ordeal to be accomplished."

She chuckled sadly to herself and stood up, "Aye, aye, sir." She watched Gibbs go back to the helm and she looked toward the bucket of water with the rag still in it. She muttered under her breath with a slight look of mischief spreading on her face as salty tears rolling down were coming to a halt, "Tortuga."

* * *

"Sir!" A young man dressed in black breeches and a white collared shirt hidden under a pale vest ran up to the sick man in the chair looking over at his rum that was set onto the table. His sickly paled skin matched his yellow eyes that were slightly blood shot from the lack of sleep he'd been having. Instead of being large and stout like he had been before, he was skinnier and his bones were slightly showing through his sagging skin. "Sir! Sir! Sir!" The young man kept on shouting to get his attention.

Ever since Will had left to search for that _pirate_ that had not only ruined every other goddamn life of everyone in Port Royal, but poor Jeremiah's life as well, the new apprentice that was soon to be Will's had been badgering him until no end to help him learn the ropes. Hadn't he learned them already? Was he _not _taught this before in his life? Jeremiah looked toward him and nodded his slight acknowledgment not knowing what he wanted, "Good." He stated with a slight cough. He took his rum in his hand and uncorked it, drinking its remains.

The boy that he didn't know the name of tried taking it away from him, "Mr. Brown, the doctor had said to you that you shouldn't drink rum anymore. If you want to be well—."

"And what makes ye think that I want to be well?" He asked him bitterly. The boy seemed to be taken back slightly by it and Jeremiah continued, "I know what the doctor had said, boy. I'm not deaf, yet. But when I listen to doctor's orders I'd end up in a grave anyway." The boy couldn't argue with that unfortunately. They both knew that Jeremiah was fatal and that he was going to die soon. The two people that had taken care of him all his weren't there to take care of him. It was just him and the boy who was too clueless to even think for himself.

That was the boy that he had to depend on to take care of his shop when he _was_ going to be in the grave. And Jeremiah was worried that he would burn down the shop whenever he turned his back from him. Truly discomforting to be around.

"We have an order to catch up on, get to work." He ordered the apprentice and leaned back in his chair, putting his glass bottle on top of the 'Wanted' poster that was lying on his table. The boy nodded slowly to him and went to the anvil where the sword he was preparing before. Jeremiah Brown moved his bottle of rum off the poster and stared down at woman who's face was drawn roughly. It didn't do her justice at all. Shockingly, he was happy that she was a pirate than being off with the damn son of his.

She looked too much like her mother in it and she wasn't going to change from being like that either. Below her drawing, was the worth of amount she was, 2,000 guineas, that seemed to not have done her justice at all, as well. But while taking the rum into his grasp again, he muttered before taking a swig, "Here's to you, Nic."

* * *

_**Yes, so that's the chapter. And yes, Will was hiding from Nic that her father is dying. And yes, the part with her and Gibbs was a showing of their father/daughter bond type thing. And yes, she still cares for Jack. Oh, and, yes, she sometimes has those Jack thought moments like in AWE, lol. Does anyone like Jack and Nic's new terms? I don't. Lol. Do you think that would change shortly? Let me know. Hope you all enjoyed the update! **_

_**Review?**_


	13. Old 'Friends'

_**Hey! Wow, very, very, quick chapter. Maybe because it's Tortuga? Most likely. I like Tortuga :) So I hope you all enjoy the new chapter! A lot happens, sort of, but I didn't finish the whole Tortuga scene, I only did half, the other half would be done tomorrow. Thank you to all my reviewers, favoriters, and alerters of the story. I made a quick update for you guys and I love you all.**_

_**Review Replies: **_

_**SelenaRoX: Thank you! And bring out the popcorn! Lol, hope you enjoy the update :)**_

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen: Old 'Friends'_

Tortuga. Nicolette smiled getting off of the ship with her hands on her hips and her eyes roaming the unique surroundings that it seemed to always have. She breathed in the scent of rum and debris and even the scent of the odor of pirates. Other women would usually cringe and hide away from sights like these, but she thoroughly enjoyed every mile of the land. Jack stood next to her, he was uneasy coming back to Tortuga, all of the women here were like cattle. Once the shepherd of the herd called an order to stay away from them... they follow hastily without any hesitation. Jack wasn't sure if they were taking a liking in him at the moment.

Nicolette turned to him, speaking the few words that she had ever spoken to him the whole day, "Where are we headed?" Jack was almost shocked to her her voice. It had been so absent and quiet aboard the _Pearl_ that he had almost forgotten that she had been there. But her constant figure by the railing looking out onto the sea with her brown hair long and flying from the wind behind her, it made the key word _almost_ appear. Jack turned to look at her with his eyebrow quirked, were they suddenly at speaking terms again?

She looked at him confused and repeated, "Where are we going to start the search, Captain?" Oh, that was their, 'new terms', quote on quote. Jack shrugged, he wasn't sure. There were so many. The Faithful Bride, The Rowdy Rooster, The King's Arm, and even The Cantina. Shit, there really was so many taverns in the filthy place of Tortuga that they only had _one _night for their search. The second closest (the first was The Faithful Bride) was The Cantina, so that had to be where they would be starting, it had grown in popularity like The Faithful Bride, and Jack had thought that The Faithful Bride hadn't been the place since he owed Carver a slight chunk of money.

"The Cantina. It's the second closest from the docks." He stated simply and went to walk away, but Nicky's voice caught him again at a halt toward the tavern.

She raised her eyebrow and asked, "Why not The Faithful Bride? It's the first popular and by far more popular than The Cantina."

"We just cannot go there!" Jack snapped at her, he was running on a strict time schedule and she was ruining it so far. Nicolette acted offended when any other time she would have been, probably because of her good mood she hadn't been. She stomped in front of Jack with her hands on her hips and then before Jack could actually get the apology out, a loud slap was pressed against his cheek. It was harder than any slap he had ever received... ouch. He rubbed his cheek and suddenly felt sympathy when Christopher had gotten slapped himself. Ow! "What in the bloody hell was that for?" He shouted outraged.

She chuckled to herself, this woman was mad. "Don't you know?" She retorted to him with a slight smirk.

"Obviously, I don't. So if you care to enlighten me on what it was for, then maybe I won't be as mad than I already am." She laughed at him and with that she turned as Christopher was steadily making his way to wherever they were going, cautiously looking around. Gibbs walked next to his Captain as Jack made a face as Nicolette was walking away from him tauntingly. Tauntingly? Why was she in a bloody good mood? Tortuga, that was the reason. The damn wench was more of a wench than he ever bargained for, scary notion, but definitely attractive notion. Mother of God, what was going through his head? "Damn tease." He muttered to himself.

Gibbs gave him quick look, "What's that, Jack?"

Jack shook his head, waving his hand to dismiss that inside thought that didn't stay in. "Gibbs, we're starting at the Cantina. I'm sure that there would be a table that we could surely set up for ourselves. We are leaving tonight so we shouldn't waste time, Mr. Gibbs, do you understand?"

"Completely." He stated, Jack nodded acknowledging it. He walked forward ahead of Gibbs who was trailing behind him.

* * *

"Carver!" Nicolette shouted, seeing John Carver at the bar, rubbing it down with his cloth. Christopher raised his eyebrow at the two of them and then looked around the bar cautiously still. Tortuga, pirate port, Deborah, pirate captain, she was most likely here... and if she was she would be because of her luck. He didn't have the best of it.. While deep in his thoughts, he felt someone drag him over to the bar and placed him in the stool. He looked at the man who was giving them both welcoming smiles and Nicolette introduced them without hesitation, "John, this is Christopher my brother. Christopher this is John, the best bartender there is."

"You flatter me so." He said to her before turning to her brother. John extended his hand to him and Christopher while glancing around took it within his to give it a firm shake. John stated to him, "Nice to meet you, mate. Can I get you anything... on the house, of course?" Christopher shook his head seeming tense enough already. John nodded acknowledging it and turned to Nicolette with a smile crossing his face, "Haven't thought I be seeing you so soon. How long are you staying in Tortuga?"

Nicolette shrugged, "Only for the night. We are setting sail a bit before morning."

"Ah, Jack's taking you away from me once more, ain't he? That's always like him to do such a thing." Christopher sensed the bit of disappointment in his voice, hidden behind the sarcasm in his tone. Christopher's eyes slightly widened when he caught a glimpse of familiar blonde hair among men at a table. He heard the slightly familiar laugh that he had spent the night with. Oh... God. His heart slightly dropped and his eyes were locked on the head with the hair. He had to get out of here. He had to get out of here fast.

John and Nic weren't paying attention to him at all. They were catching up with each other. John asked her curiously, recalling a debt with Jack, "Does Jack happen to be here as well?"

Her face dropped, she immediately known what he was getting at by just one sentence. Before she could answer, Christopher tapped her shoulder carefully with his eyes looking away from Deborah for a moment, "I'm going to go for now. See you on the ship." Nicolette raised her eyebrow, but nodded goodbye to her brother. As he left, he stated a goodbye to John as well, "Nice to meet you, John."

As he kept his head down and tried to remain calm while leaving, Deborah, from the table in the corner, saw a glimpse of brown hair hiding away while walking out. She cocked her brow suspiciously and looked between her first mate and her gunman before excusing herself to find out who the mysterious man was. Nic didn't question it and turned to John with her frown on her face. She retorted, "Let me guess, does he owe you money of any sort?"

"Hmm, doesn't he always?"

Nicolette rolled her eyes and went into her pocket, taking out what she had on her, "I'll pay it off for him." John's face dropped seeing the amount of money being placed on the counter. Nicolette asked him in a serious tone, "How much do you want? If you want you can take it all." John looked at her like she was crazy. She was about to pay Sparrow's debt to him.

John considered for a moment, but then shook his head no. "No, I can't take your money, Nic. Really, I can't. It's not between you and me, it's between Sparrow and me."

She chuckled, "Really, it's okay, I have a lot more money on the ship. I don't mind at all."

"No." He stated firmly, and pushed the money toward with a sweet smile on his face. "It's not between me and you. But is he here at the moment?"

"He's here getting away from you, probably, because he didn't want to go to the Faithful Bride because of you working there since he has a debt to you." She stated to him honestly, taking back her money and putting it back into her pocket. She could've lied, yes, but why would she lie to a friend like him? She added, "They're setting up shop in the back to get crew members. You know, how about this," Nicolette had an idea formulating in her head. She wasn't _as _vengeful toward Jack than she was before, but she thought that she might as well get some entertainment.

She went back into her pocket and took out just enough to buy two drinks, then she placed them on the table while John cocked his eyebrow. She continued with a smirk, "this should be enough to buy two drinks, right? One is for Sparrow and the other for Gibbs. Bring them to him. I'll take over at the bar until you're done."

Nicolette nodded toward them talking and getting ready to question potential crew members, or ones that lacked potential. They were taking anyone with them. John looked over and shared the same smirk as she. When he turned back to her, he asked with a slight chuckle, "What did the devil do to ya this time that you resort to this?"

Nicolette laughed, "For me to know and for you to not know."

"You're not going to tell me?" He asked shocked, it was strange for Nicolette to not tell him anything about it. John was the one who was practically the man who knew everything about their relationship, because he was the one to be the man to comfort the lass. But this time, for her not wanting to tell him was definitely surprising. She shook her head, "That bad, eh?"

"Bad in the manner of perspective." She stated simply, no longer, did she think what Jack did was horrible beyond belief. Or what he did was surprising. She still loved him, but what happened their argument, the things said and the things done, wouldn't be able to be reversed, she thought. Nicolette was going to go along with life plans to see how it turns out for them in the end. She was over it. Surprisingly, she was over it quickly, but some points were hard to get over.

Nicolette pursed her lips, going back over it in her head, but she realized that was what she had done all day... think. Thinking wasn't going to do anything, she found out. Instead of pressing on for him since he was looking at her strangely as if she were ill, "Get them two bottles of rum on me. But don't say that it was me, just do it without saying anything and a smile on your face."

"Whatever you say, lass." He stepped aside for her to go behind bar and then he retrieved to tankards before filling them up with rum. Nicolette looked under to find an apron and she threw it on over her present clothes. When Carver was done filling up the tankards of rum, he turned around and raised an eyebrow. "You're really putting on an apron? I'm going to be back in a minute, maybe two."

She chuckled, helping a man who was already drunk. She grabbed a tankard and another along with it for his mate and stated to Carver, "Might as well dress the part I am for a bit, right?"

John rolled his eyes and gestured for her to go right ahead as she filled the tankards to their fullest. When he left, she had handed the two tankards to the men that were sitting and cheering at the bar for their new drink. She bit her tongue to sustain any comments from coming out while getting out another tankard to fill it up for a customer. Drunk men were the worst to deal with. When she turned around she didn't expect to see a sight such as this in the merry pirate land of Tortuga. A man with a slumped mess of hair partly covering up his face. His ponytail was ratty and he seemed to be wearing worn out clothing that was dirtier than those who sleep with the pigs at night. It seemed to be an old uniform of some sort, too, he had the famous tricorne to match it, as well. The man seemed to be wearing an old wig that signified power in either the military or politics. He wasn't clean shaven either, he a slight scruff of a beard developing.

Nicolette asked him with seeming concern, "Mate, you're in Tortuga, no need to have your head in the slumps. What can I get for you?"

When he spoke, his voice was so familiar, too familiar. She had heard that voice plenty of times, saw those green eyes plenty of times, and even that softened face from his hard exterior. Her eyes slightly widened, dropping the empty tankard that was in her hand. He scoffed, "Same old Nicolette, trying to cheer up those that aren't taking to liking to in her book."

_James_. He was in Tortuga, this was the most unlikely place to find _him_ in. His voice was slightly slurred, she could tell right away that he was drunk.

She gulped, "Commodore, I have to say this is the most unlikely place that I ever thought seeing you in." He looked up at her and she cringed seeing the man in a state that was in the worst she had ever seen him in, "You look dreadful... what happened to you?" She picked the tankard on the ground and filled it up with rum from the nearest barrel. Instead of giving it to James, Nicolette took a gulp herself and didn't realize that she had already drank half of it before slamming it onto the counter wiping her mouth.

"What happened to me?" He repeated with a slight hint of mockery. He repeated again before explaining, "What happened to me? I sailed across every sea, obsessed with capturing this man and this woman to rid the world of them." Nicolette muttered, 'I know' under her breath and went to take a swig of her rum, but James had taken it right from her grip. She gaped at him as he continued after his stolen swig, "I was so close to getting you and your lot, but the hurricane that had happened, that Jack had you sailed through is the reason that I am here in front of you."

It wasn't clear to her, mostly because she saw that her rum was stolen right from her hand, "Is that also the reason that you stole my rum?"

He sneered at her, "Are you daft?"

"Beg your pardon," she apologized, not meaning to ask that of him. "I didn't mean that, but if you wanted rum I could've given you a bottle of it." She took the tankard of rum away from him and her and smiled at him sympathetically. "I'm also sorry to hear that, Norrington. That's a terrible thing to go through, no doubt that title of yours was striped away from you, right?"

He spat on the counter hatefully and she took the rag, not blaming him for doing that action at all, and started to wipe it down. "What do you think? Why else would I be in a port with villainous creatures that don't know the meaning of right and wrong?" She chuckled and continued to wipe down the bar gently. James continued, "This is the only free port in the Caribbean and I can't show my face in any other since I am now the laughing stock of the Navy for doing such a naïve thing chasing the likes of you."

"The likes of me, eh?" She questioned with a slight smirk, she put aside the rag and looked around the bar, some men were wanting drinks along with the prostitutes under their arms. She decided to ignore them and continue the conversation, "I can't say that I am part of the blame, but surely you are as well for even being enthused in the chase. I warned you, remember? It's not very nice to chase those who you would like to take your revenge out on when you couldn't with the one in Port Royal since he was in favor with the love of your life."

"I don't seem to know what you mean." He replied, looking away to the other side with his eyes trailing around the bar for the other man who ruined his life. If she was here, surely, Sparrow was. Unless, they separated, but he highly doubted it.

She scoffed, glancing behind her shoulder to see Carver come back to the bar with a smile curving on his face. "I think you do." She stated, taking off the apron she was wearing, throwing back in its place under the bar, and then getting the tankard that James taken a swig out of before. She filled it up before James could comment and then Nicolette left the bar as John made his way back. She stepped aside and asked with a smirk, "How did that go?"

Carver chuckled, "You should've seen his face once I'd given it to him. Made my night, definitely."

"Grand." Her smirk turned into a smile. "I wish I had. Like I said, you're the reason why he didn't want to go to the Faithful Bride, but why must I ask have you switched here?"

He made a face, "That bar is for scoundrels. It became trashier over the past month and uncontrollable. Brawls every night, sometimes ten, and every salty sailor had been taking all of me rum. I handed it over to Sternum a month ago. I'm surprised he didn't burn it down yet, though."

She raised an eyebrow, she remembered that man from a year ago, actually. "Gerard the drunk? You trusted him with the tavern?"

"He's not really a drunk anymore. Drinks time to time but not nearly as much."

Nicolette nodded, not believing it, she remembered the man had drank all night when she had met him. Before she left, she gestured toward James, "John, give that man who's slumping in that stool of his a spirit to brighten his spirits. He's very down and there's really one cure for that. I put some extra money down that went along with mine, Gibbs, and Jack's tankards. You could put his on my tab, too."

John rolled his eyes annoyed by her generosity, "Miss. Nicolette, your generous nature surpasses us all here, I fear. What in your right mind would give that sort of nature to that drunk over there?"

She shrugged, "He's a friend of mine. Just make sure the man doesn't get into too much trouble."

He questioned, "What do you mean by trouble?"

"I mean," she looked left and right cautiously before continuing in a sudden hushed tone, "make sure he stays away from me, Gibbs, and Jack, aye? That's what I mean by trouble, Carver."

John joked, "Friends with an enemy?"

She smirked and patted his shoulder before leaving him, "All friends are enemies, mate. Can't seem to trust any of them these days, I say. But doesn't it help to bring them over to the good side to make them less likely to betray you?" John rolled his eyes and pushed her away toward Jack and Gibbs with a slight chuckle before tending to the man that was slumped in the stool. Nicolette held the same smirk walking to the table, carrying her tankard of rum with a good grip. Gibbs sat there having his own swig while Jack was perched behind him on a brick ledge that was leaning against the wall with his hands cupped around the compass.

Nicolette sighed, sitting next to Gibbs. She looked over the roaster to see if anyone signed up to join yet, but to much of her dismay, there was none. "Nothing yet, eh?"

Gibbs shook his head no, "Not yet. But we only just set up shop here, lass. Doubtful we'd get any yet."

She nodded, placing her drink onto the table and perched her feet on the table leaning her chair back. Nic commented to him while checking her nails, "Well, the night is still young... partly. I'm sure we'd accomplish a little before dawn if we set our minds to it."

Jack intruded, snapping his compass shut and took a swig of the tankard that he had in his hand, "That's our third day, darling, and we're leaving in four hours to go to our next destination."

"If you can lead us there." Nicolette retorted with a glance behind her shoulder. "Your compass doesn't work anymore for you, Jack. Might as well get a new one or find someone who can be actually be manipulated to find what you want in order to get what you want in return."

Jack raised his eyebrow at her, "Your plan is good, but mine is better."

"And you are by far the mastermind of plans, Sparrow." Her sarcasm was tracing all over the comment, but she didn't at all acknowledge the slightly stricken look that was crossing his face. She asked him with a smirk, "How's the rum by the way? Carver made it very special for you on my behalf, sir."

Jack's eyes narrowed at her, "That was by your doing in bringing him over here, wasn't it?"

"It was why you didn't want to go to the Faithful Bride, was it not? He works here now. It's strange what the tide sometimes brings in, eh?"

In response, Jack growled at her and muttered curses under his breath as he reopened his compass. He clutched it toward his chest where his heart knows his deepest desires and then opened to watch it spin in a quick clockwise moment, before halting steadily toward the table. Ugh, no, not her. He shook it and whispered to it, "I know what I want." and he repeated the whisper like it was some type of chant or a spell.

She chuckled and looked forward, while Gibbs was just looking at the two puzzled. Nicolette changed the subject immediately, seeing a rather old man with a cane. She gave him a fake smile and wasn't sure how to react to something like this. She swallowed down her pride and stated to Gibbs, "Look, Mr. Gibbs, a line is formulating!" Gibbs snapped his attention to the rather thin man in front of three others. "You, sir." Jack opened the compass again to see it spin around in circles before going into a halt at the same direction. He looked over to see Nicolette, again. This was going great. He tried again, repeating the same ritual only to be getting the same results.

"What makes you think that you're worthy to crew the _Black Pearl_?" Gibbs added to act like this was going to work, but he and even Jack knew that this wasn't going to go as planned at all.

The old man answered, with his wrinkled skin and his bones sticking out slightly, "Truth be told, sir, I've never sailed in a day of me life. I figure I should get out there and see the world, while I'm still young." Young? The man looked to be about his eighties, no maybe his seventies. He had a sheepish smile across his face. Nicolette bit her tongue to not let any rude comments slip out of that mouth of hers. It was becoming harder and harder.

Gibbs nodded with a fake smile flashing on his face, "You'll do."

She watched the wrinkled old man sign the roaster and then walk away. Nic couldn't hold in her comment for him, so when he was out of her sights, she leaned in to gossip to Gibbs, but another came in front of the line. Nicolette looked forward at him quickly and gave him a look up and down, "Another worthy one." She didn't bother to hide her sarcasm for this one. But the skinny, rum-pot man unfortunately didn't notice when he was meant to.

He gave them his short life story, "My wife ran off with my dog," _I wonder why,_ Nicolette thought to herself as he continued, "and I am drunk," _really? Haven't noticed._ To much of her dismay, he continued, "and I don't give a rat's ass if I live or die."

Nicolette smiled truly and tried not to say anything hinting that he was going to. Her and Gibbs stated together with smiles on their faces, "Perfect."

"Next." Gibbs stated, as the man leaned down to sign the roaster. Two, so far. A dark man now came to the front, Nicolette thought of him as a worth sailor until he opened his mouth.

"I've one arm and a bum leg." He stated.

Nicolette looked him up and down, "I didn't even notice that." She still didn't notice that.

Gibbs stated with fake optimism, "Crow's nest for you."

"Next." The dark man leaned down to sign the roaster and then stalked off with a slight limp. Now that he had walked away Nicolette did more than notice it. She looked over at the bar to see where Norrington was seated, he better be still there. Carver's head was in the way, but she no longer saw the specks of a white powdered wig there. Not good. She went to get out of her seat, but the man in the front of the line had the biggest eyes that made her almost stop what she was doing. He was a thin man like the others, with frail hair and a soft face. His eyes were so... big, they took up half of his face, which was more than scary.

He started, "Ever since I was a young lad, I've wanted to sail the seas forever..." he would be sailing the seas forever. His dream was coming true.

Nicolette smiled at him and sat back down firmly, "And that dream of yours would most definitely come true." Probably not how he would want it to come true, but it was definitely coming true for him.

Gibbs stated to him, "Sign the roaster."

The man's face seemed to brighten up and Nicolette tried not to laugh at the poor man, he seemed to be serious. But why couldn't she take him seriously. He leaned down to sign the roaster and as he leaned down she saw the slight glimpse of James swaying over to the line slowly. "Oh... dear." She muttered under her breath with her eyes trying not to get wide than they already were.

The man straightened and thanked Nicolette and Gibbs, "Thank you very much."

Jack's voice came back to their hearing from behind, "How are we doing?" He asked them and Nicolette looked behind her shoulder to seem him still struggling with the damn compass.

Gibbs answered, "Including those four, that gives us... four."

"Terrific progress, I must say." Nicolette added, still not bothering to hide her sarcasm toward him. Jack made a face at her from behind and as if she had eyes in the back of her head, she stated to him, "I saw that."

Jack looked at her quizzically, "Why does she seem to always do that?"

Nicolette heard that, too, but she decided to not comment on it and give him a bit of incentive for doing something that she didn't notice. She went to go take a swig of her rum and once she closed her eyes to blink, she heard Gibbs' voice go to the next victim of the Jones' crew. "And what's your story?" His tone was slightly peeved and annoyed that he was taking part in this waste of time.

"_My_ story." The voice made Nicolette spit out whatever was in her mouth at the moment. Gibbs didn't notice at first of who exactly it belonged to along with Jack. Nicolette gotten up as James took a pause in _his_ story. She rushed over to Jack in a hurry and grabbed his hand to drag him away.

"We got to get out of here and fast." She stated to him in a hurry as if they were back on their old terms. Jack snapped his compass shut and liked how close they were actually. Though he couldn't do anything but wonder why her tone sounded urgent and immediate.

He stated to her with a slight smirk, liking the slight touch of her light skin over his calloused hands, "Going back to our old terms, love."

"Don't call me that. We don't have the time to discuss terms." She snapped in a loud whisper and Jack cocked a brow as she nodded toward the man who was beginning to tell a story of how he had gotten there. "We have to get out of here, now."

Before Jack could even answer to her urgency, the deep voice happen to creep back into their hearing. Nicolette cursed under her breath as her and Jack looked over at the man with a worried frown. "It's the same as your story, just one chapter behind." Nicolette sighed, this could've been easily avoided.

* * *

Christopher kept his head down while walking the streets of Tortuga. All he needed was a black cape or something to cover him to make it seem like he was blending in well with the dark alleyways. He hadn't been in these streets before in his last visit, but they seemed safer than what he had been in the main. No one seemed around, but he did feel someone lurking through the shadows with a careful eye on him. "Well, well, well, Captain Grayson, isn't it?" His face dropped, that voice, that voice he had heard throughout his career, the constant reminder of the East India Trading Company and Lord Beckett.

He stopped walking and didn't bother to see if it was Ian Mercer or not. He already knew very well. "How's your duty going, very well, now, is it?"

"Does Beckett not trust me enough to make me always need a nanny to watch over everything I do with the bloody company?" The company? Deborah Sheppard stopped where she was. She quickly hid behind a dark corner and kept a steady eye on Christopher and the man who was dressed all in black. He camouflaged into the darkness and the only way she could tell that it was in fact a man, was by the shadow cast by him in the slightly dimmed lighting.

"He just wants to make sure that you aren't doing wrong and haven't been distracted in whatever it is you are supposedly doing." Mercer explained with his hands on his hips.

Christopher scoffed, turning on his heel to face him, "I highly doubt that. I bet the blighter even has arrest warrants out for me taking part in 'piracy.' Even when he assigned me to do so, wouldn't surprise me at all."

"Your words are harsh, Grayson." Ian stated to him with his cockney accent that would give some chills up and downs. Everyone in the company knew that Mercer was also the man who did Beckett's 'deadliest' deeds. His dirty work that he didn't want to get into himself. "Shame, you were so loyal to us and made such a name for yourself then you, of course, went off track in a road to nowhere."

Christopher rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm still loyal to you and my name is still for myself. I didn't get off track. My first mate caused that by annexing my goddamn ship!"

Mercer chuckled halfheartedly, "Ever think that he had done it because you had gone off track?" He thought about that all the time. Why he had done that was beyond Christopher's knowledge. There was no reason to. He was a good Captain and he always was charitable to his crew. Christopher didn't reply to Mercer, though, he remained silent letting his thoughts run through his heads. "Captain Grayson, how is the search for the chest going?"

"Don't call me that." He stated to him harshly it was almost as cold as the winter in England. Mercer cocked an eyebrow, while Christopher walked forward with his old stance coming back to his old name. His face hardened and the face of his Captain vibrato had shown. His arms moved from across his chest to behind his back, being held in place by his hands. "I thought Beckett wanted me to go back to Brown instead of Grayson. Since it is what I am, isn't it? I made myself off of a fake identity and I might as well go under the real one, shan't I?"

"True, but I'm only do it as Lord Beckett said to greet you by. He wasn't sure how you would be if I say Captain Brown."

Though the Captain in front of his last names was nice and all, providing it with single ring, he didn't want to hear it, he wasn't in the mood, "Last I recall I'm not even a Captain."

"You look like one. And if you do your job right, then you can become one again under however name you choose."

Christopher pursed his lips to remain calm and not thrash at the man that was Beckett's annoying assistant. "You came as insurance." He accused.

Mercer shook his head no, "I came to bargain with you."

Christopher's face seem to brighten when bargain was heard, if he was getting something out of it than it was going to be good and shocking. "Bargain?" He questioned to him, the bargain between him and Beckett probably wasn't in motion anymore. He wasn't going to have to kidnap his sister in order to be Captain, which seemed stupid for him to think of. "Beckett and I already are undergoing a bargain, remember? If I get Jack to come to Port Royal with the compass by whatever means (including the sister kidnap plan idea), then I become Captain of the _Greene Marauder_."

Mercer stepped forward and stated to him, "Times change, plans change. We only want one thing and one thing only. The—"

Christopher finished already knowing, "The heart of Davy Jones. I know, Beckett had already said that they were looking for it, which was why they needed to have the compass. But I don't understand why he can't just buy one, Jack's compass is broken apparently."

"We have a new plan." _We?_ Deborah just hid in the corner of the alleyway to be sure to not be heard by her silent breathing and her muttering questions. He lied to her. He was a part of the East India Trading Company, but not only that, he wasn't just searching for his sister or Sparrow. She continued to listen in as the man named Mercer continued, "As you know Beckett has a sudden want of control of the seas, to make the company even more expansive than it had ever been before. We already spread in the Caribbean."

"I know that, he has power to do that, too." Christopher stated without trying to make it sound insulting or an accusation, it was true. He was in fact a knighted _Lord_ he had connections with parliament and the King.

Mercer added, "And wouldn't you think Davy Jones would be a prime ally in that process?"

"Of course, let's be real, whoever has control of the heart, has control of the—."

"Seas." He finished. Christopher looked as though he had received the point that was given to him. "And for that to happen he would need that heart or the compass."

"The heart is what Sparrow's looking for." He reasoned and looked down at the ground. He was piecing together whatever Mercer had woven him in the imaginary quilted plan. He pursed his lips and looked back into Mercer's dark eyes, unsure if this was a good idea, "So if Beckett wants the heart more than the compass, what might I ask is in it for me?"

"Your safety," Mercer started, "your sister's safety, and an even bigger title than what you already want." Christopher looked at him confused, not Captain? He looked at him with his eyebrow arched and his eyes narrowed. "You could command the fleet that Lord Beckett would be creating."

Christopher's lip curved into a small smirk and his eyes seemed to be satisfied. But it quickly dropped, he wasn't going to fall for it that easily like Ian Mercer thought he would. He looked at Mercer once more and asked him, "How do I know that he would honor that agreement?"

"If you have loyalty in the East India Trading Company, then you trust that Lord Beckett would do more than honor that agreement." Christopher's breathing got heavier with the idea of having such a huge part like that. Not only would _he_ be safe, but his sister. A few days ago, he would care less, but now having found what they needed as closeness (well close to that) it was perfect. Mercer's hand was extended out to him, taunting Christopher to take it and seal the agreement.

"It better happen." He muttered under his breath, already starting to regret his sudden decision that he had made just now. He took his hand slowly and then gave it a firm shake. "We have an agreement." He stated retreating his hand from him. Satisfied, Mercer planted on a knowing smile and bid a goodbye to the soon-to-be-Admiral. Sheppard shuffled away hearing footsteps tracing back toward the Cantina to see the new chaos that erupted. Debbie could hear it all the way form there, surprisingly.

As she traced into the darkness, she leaned her back against the wall roughly and closed her eyes tightly to not be seen by Mercer. When she thought that he was gone, she opened her eyes to see that he was practically right in front of her. She gulped and bit her lip with a slight glare to not show her fear, "Well, looks as though we had an eavesdropper." He stated to himself as if Christopher was right next to him.

Debbie pursed her lips and denied, "I don't know what you're talking about, sir, I was minding me own business in this alleyway. My boot was untied." My boot was untied? She was getting rusty with her lying abilities. But she looked at the man with her hands on her hips.

He looked at her skeptically, "Were you now?" He had a threatening look in his eye that indicated that he was about to strike, but heavy footsteps were heard running toward them when he reached for his knife.

"No." Christopher put a hand in front of Mercer, who glared at him puzzled of why he would do this for someone. Christopher's eyes were locked on Deborah as her light brown eyes on him. He looked over at Mercer, taking his eyes away from her for a moment.

Mercer asked him, "You know of her?"

Christopher lied, "No, and I didn't know that she was... listening in." He glanced at her quickly and scanned her up and down before continuing. "I'd take care of her. You never know how much she had heard of our little conversation. She might not need to be killed for it. If she does, I'll do it." He glanced at her again, to see if she had gotten the point of the slight bluff he had told Mercer. He looked back at him again when he noticed her calm down a bit, "You can trust me, Mercer. You can, I assure you."

Mercer continued his slight glare toward him and looked between the pair. "Whatever you say, Grayson." Christopher sighed annoyed.

"It's Brown." He corrected as Mercer ignored him and walked away from them and back to the Cantina. Christopher's eyes trailed behind Mercer to be sure that he was going far enough away from them. When he was out of Debbie's sight, she went to speak, but Christopher made her halt, looking down at the dark ground. He turned to focus on her and stated, "We're not out of it yet."

She raised an eyebrow, "What do you—?"

He hushed her, "Don't speak." Before she could protest, Christopher walked to the end of the side alley to see if Ian Mercer was far enough to be not in the ear shot of hearing between the two of them. Good, he was very far, he wasn't even in Chris' sights anymore. With his hand dropped to his side, he walked back to Debbie while heaving a sigh of relief. Once again, before Debbie could even get a word in, Chris interrupted her, "How much did you hear out of that conversation with me and that man?"

"Everything." She admitted to him with a slight skeptical, but yet confused glare.

Christopher rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. He stated to himself with sarcasm, "Great, this is just absolutely great."

* * *

_**Oh, Deborah knows now and our good friend James is back ;). Nicolette seems to be over with everything, sort of, too. Or is she? Dun, dun, dunnn. The next chapter is the other half of Tortuga when dear Elizabeth comes back as well. Should be interesting. Hopefully I can update fast like I did with this one, right? I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**_

_**Review?**_


	14. Grudges

_**You know, I'm still not done writing Tortuga, almost, but not yet. Lol. Sorry for the long wait, ugh, with the school quarter ending I had to do a lot of makeup work unfortunately. But hopefully it was worth it! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Remember why Chris came to Port Royal in the first? To talk to Norrington? That meeting is going to be brought up in this. Just giving you a heads up. **_

* * *

_Chapter Fourteen: Grudges_

"I've chased a man and woman across the seven seas." James continued with his head down. "The pursuit cost me my crew, my commission, and my life." He went to take a swig of rum from the tankard on the table. Gibbs looked at the man in disbelief and when he tilted his head to chug it he revealed himself to be the Commodore. His eyes widened and Jack's grip on Nicolette's hand tightened as he went to retrieve to leaves from the plant next to him. He handed one to her and she mouthed to him, 'Yours is bigger!'

Jack mouthed back to her, 'Does that even matter?' She glared and snatched it out of his hand to cover her face from unwanted eyes. Jack slowly crept away with a good grip on her hand to lead her away slowly behind him. Gibbs finally recognized him, "Commodore?"

"Not anymore weren't you listening?" He snapped at him slamming the tankard of rum onto the table loudly. James swallowed his dignity and pointed his finger at Gibbs warningly with his hand wrapped in a fist. "I nearly had you all in Tripoli. I would have," James' eyes suddenly seemed far off remembering that day perfectly, he continued, "If not for that hurricane... my crew said to sail around it. Should have listened."

Gibbs eyes grew wide remembering that exact hurricane. "Lord," he started shocked, "you didn't try to sail through it?" Norrington snapped out of his far off stare and looked back at Gibbs with a deepened frown set on his lips. Nicolette peeked through her thin leaves that barely covered her face while Jack was steadily dragging her out of the tavern. She felt bad for him.

Norrington leaned over the table and with his breath soaked in rum and his green eyes more than a little glassy, he asked with his voice in a form of hiss, "So do I make your crew or not?" Gibbs was too shocked that the Commodore... former Commodore was actually right in front of him in Tortuga. Before he could even get the roaster closer to James, James realized something and stated, "You haven't said where you're going." Gibbs looked at him unsure of what James was going to do with that look in his eyes. He scowled, "Someplace nice!" Norrington flipped the table and Gibbs moved out of the way faster than he had ever to move out of the way. The roaster along with the rum went flying off the table.

The music stopped playing, everyone with gaping expressions watched what was going on. Everyone froze where they stood and the cheering and drinking had paused. Nicolette cringed while moving away from him and Jack felt it. "Love, remain calm." He whispered to her and continued to drag her, for once this day, she didn't scowl at him for calling her that. She nodded, keeping an eye on James.

He threw his hands up in the air and with his voice slurred, he shouted to everyone, "So am I worthy to sail under _Captain _Jack Sparrow?" There was a slight mockery in his tone. Nicolette felt a tug on her hand to move quicker, she didn't realize that she was going slower than the speed _he _wanted to go. Why did he have to always take charge in their escape always? He scanned the crowd quickly and saw two leaves moving toward the exit, and they were the only moving things in the crowd.

He pulled out his pistol and pointed toward the leading man with the bigger leaf. He stated to him, "Or should I just kill you now?" Jack stopped in his place and looked from behind the leaf to see that Norrington had his pistol directed at him. He went to look from the other side to only see the pistol move again toward him. Jack smiled and threw the leaf away, he quickly pulled Nicolette in front of him. James took a threatening step toward her with a slight mocking smile. He wouldn't mind shooting her right now either, she also had ruined his life.

She muttered to Jack under her breath, "Coward." Then looked at James with her own smile of mockery tugging on her lips toward him. Nicolette stated to him with her voice seemingly calm (though under gunpoint that could be difficult), "You really don't have to make a scene right here. Maybe we could take this out in alleyway and talk it out instead of using pistols."

"Witnesses to view this sight is a must have, _Miss. Brown_." Nicolette tried not to glare at him for that, their acquaintanceship seemed to just have end, or it did a long time ago. She didn't really know, nor cared. Jack peered past Nicolette while holding her shoulders with a good grip so she wouldn't get away. Norrington's pistol moved toward Jack, if it was between him and her, he would die first for being the instigator. James added to Jack, "Don't you agree?"

"You know what," Jack replied with his fake toothy grin that some saw past, feeling how nervous he was. He threw Nicolette aside and she squealed as she was caught by a random man. Nicolette swung around to see that it was Mr. Gibbs, thank God that it wasn't some random drunk. Jack continued, "You're hired!"

James chuckled hatefully and smirked as his finger wrapped around the trigger. "Sorry," Nicolette watch Norrington carefully to see if he would do what she thought he was about to do, "old habits and all that." Her hand went to pistol and Jack caught a glimpse, but when he was preparing for the bullet to penetrate in him, a gunshot went off. His eyes went to Nicolette who was gaping at the scene that was there. Two members of the soon-to-be-Davy-Jones'-crew took Norrington's arm with the hand gripping the pistol and forced it to point up at the ceiling .

It was the Irishman with the big eyes that Nicolette couldn't stop looking at and the drunken skinny man who was left by his wife and dog. "Easy sailor! That is our Captain you be threatening." They shouted and it was almost like that gunshot signaled a brawl to break out. Nicolette's eyes roamed and a glass bottle was suddenly thrown out from no where and she ducked down just in time.

She straightened up and looked around the Cantina, "Hey!" She shouted, with her hand on her sword, but a hand on top of hers made her stop advancing toward the man who had done it. Nicky looked over to see that it was Jack with a stern look on his face. His brown eyes convinced her otherwise and she moved her hand off her black hilt. "Time to go?" She suggested to both him and Gibbs, while a man with blonde hair braided under a hat rushed past them to defend Norrington. He looked strangely familiar. But obviously it wasn't anyone they would know. Who would rush to help _that _man?

Gibbs and Jack looked at each other then at Nicolette. With a nod they answered unanimously, "Aye!" Jack led the pack, dodging from the men and even women who were taking part in the brawl. Nicolette looked around cautiously as she swiveled and twisted around them. Jack was taking hats from random heads and putting them on top of his own. One was rather atrocious and he turned for their approval. "What do you think?"

Both of them shook their heads, thinking that only one hat really suited him nicely and better than that one. Nicolette took the honor of snatching the hat off of his head and threw it onto the brawl as she walked up the stairs dodging a man who was tumbling down. Jack and Gibbs now followed her lead, but as she walked forward Jack didn't like how the _woman_ of the three was in front. He moved next to her and gripped her hand to drag her to the upper exit. Nicolette looked at him questionably, but she didn't ask.

They found themselves at a halt by two men carrying another man to be thrown over the railing. Jack actually stopped them in their place as the hornpipes of the struggling musicians in their bar came to their loudest of the night. The two looked at him confused along with the one who was being carried. Nicolette looked at him in disbelief when Jack took another hat off the nearest one. He turned to her for approval while his hand was still out for them to stay in their places. She actually liked it for herself and not for him.

She asked him, "Are you on a hunt for a new hat?"

"You can say that." He stated to her with a slight bit of truth. He asked her through the chaos of the tavern, "Attractive looking, don't you think?"

Nicky smirked infamously and stated with a slight shrug, "Not on you." Jack cocked his brow and before he could give back to the man, she took it for herself and planted it on her head. Jack chuckled as she added, "But on me, now I rather like it."

"Whatever you say, darling." He said with a smirk of his own. He turned toward the men waiting for his consent to carry on. "Go ahead." He stated to them and the men yelled out before throwing the drunken man in clothing that was rags over the railing. Nicky didn't seem surprised at all, Tortuga had been full of men like that. Jack turned back to them, "We should leave before _we_ get caught up in the upcoming madness," he stated to them with a slight serious frown.

Gibbs asked his Captain, "What do ye call this then?"

"Er... normality."

Nicolette turned to Gibbs and added to him, "And we were the ones who had started said 'normality.'" John would probably kill her next time he would see her.

* * *

"You seem less than shocked to hear all of this all at once." He stated walking beside her on the docks of Tortuga. The _Black Pearl_ was docked next to them as the crew were loading supplies onto it. Debbie remained quiet while listening to him, nodding time to time when he paused. Was she shocked? A little, but she wouldn't say shocked. More like... yes, she was shocked, but, she did a prime job hiding it from him. When he stated that, she still remained silent like she was deep in thought, but really, she had nothing to say. "Debbie?"

She snapped out of it, but corrected him, "It's Captain Sheppard to you." Christopher didn't seem taken back by it; he practically expected that from her. "Obviously, you're thick-headed for even going along with what that man at that... company," when she said company her voice was a soft whisper, then she went louder, "said, but how could you do that to someone like your sister? Does she even know that you're with them? If I was her, you'd be dead by now and buried in a damn grave."

"You know what," he started to her, taking her roughly by the shoulder to get her away from the _Pearl_ and out of hearing distance by its men. Debbie tried to protest this, but she was completely incapable of getting out of his tight grip with ease. Christopher dropped her shoulder as they reached the most upbeat tavern to drown down their comments toward other people's ears. He continued, "at first, I was _only_ doing this to get my ship back, it wasn't my fault that it was taken away from me over misunderstandings, but now, it's more than that. Now, I'm doing this to restore my name, my sister's, and—."

She finished for him, but it wasn't the way he wanted it phrased, "And to become something that you weren't before. Something greater. Though, for you that may seem important, but to others you're scum that people step on and scrape off their shoes. You may _think_ that you are doing the right thing, but you're not. You're condemning innocent lives to a death that nobody wants or that nobody deserves. Because that is what Lord Beckett is going to do when he gets his hand on that heart."

Christopher looked at her shocked and considerably unnerved by her. He stated to her insulted, "Scum?" She didn't even know him that well to even say such a thing to him. He added, "You're not even in the right place to even say that."

"I slept with you." Debbie informed him like he didn't remember that at all. She added, "I think I'm in every place to say that to you, jackass." Christopher cocked his eyebrow. Oh, this was more than him lying to her at first and the fact that he was a part of something that she despised. Though, she didn't show it as much as she should have, she was angry about him leaving her that morning. Debbie looked at his confused face strongly and soon she had grown confused about how he was looking at her.

Christopher said to her spitefully, "That's what this is about. You were drunk, as was I. It didn't count, it didn't happen, which makes you incapable of being able to say such things to me. Understand?"

She scoffed at him, "I don't care about that." Debbie lied to him, of course she cared. Who did that? Really, that was the most messed up thing that a man could ever do to a woman. She usually wasn't one, well, she actually _was_ one to hold grudges and it took every ounce of her strength to not kill him when she saw the glimpse of him in the Cantina. "And why should I? I have so many other things to worry about than not remembering what had happened the night before and waking up bare in me cabin. Did you think that I wasn't going to be puzzled?"

That did cross his mind. Christopher caught onto her slight lie and inquired to her, "If you don't care about it, then why are you acting like you do?"

She lied again, "Well, you should get your eyes checked, because I know I don't care about it and I know that you were actually the worst I ever had."

He caught on again, "You just said that you didn't remember that night." His voice now seemed a bit amused instead of angry and hateful. Christopher sat down on the barrel behind him while Debbie just looked at him with her eyebrow arched and a puzzled frown playing on her lips. "And you know what they say, drink has a way with lowering down someone's performance, in urinating, talking, and even... pleasuring." He chuckled with a slight amused smirk that matched his amused, brown eyes.

Debbie's eyes narrowed at him and she said to him, insulted, "I don't see where you have found something that is funny in this conversation."

Christopher stated to her with the same smirk, "You're a really bad liar. And you call yourself a pirate. I can lie better than you and my career had been based on a lie, plus I've been with one of the most lying and deceitful pirate that sailed the seven seas, so I'm always on my guard now."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest while looking to the tavern that was next to them. Christopher looked at her knowingly and she turned her head sharply to face him. Her tone was harsh and cold as she had spoken to him, "Even if it were a lie, which I'm not saying it was, then despite of everything the least you could have done was to stay until I had woken up and say goodbye instead of leaving me without an explanation of said leaving. Hadn't your mother taught you better than that?"

Christopher's smirk fell and took that blow with slight hate that was more than he had meant to take it as. He stated to her warningly, "Don't you dare play that card with me, you wench."

Debbie saw a look in his eyes that she slightly enjoyed looking into, hurt. The man who took his job more seriously than his family had a soft spot for his mummy. How sweet. She cooed, not knowing what she was getting into, "Awe, we have a mama's boy in our hands now." Christopher's teeth clenched and he tried with every part of his will to remain calm. She added, "How does she feel about this little betrayal you have planned for your sister?"

Christopher told her through gritted teeth, "My mother's dead. I've been on my own since I was thirteen in London." Debbie's face dropped and she looked down at the Tortuga ground with a deep frown. He added, "I found out that she had died last year."

"And how old are you now?" She inquired looking back up at him with the same frown.

He stated, "Turning twenty-nine in two months."

"So you didn't know for..." she trailed off doing the math in her head, but Christopher saved the work for her. Knowing it exactly, since it was all he had thought about during the course of the year. Well, one of the things anyway.

"For eight years. She died of influenza crossing the Atlantic. My father being the _friendly_ person he is, didn't tell me about it until I had confronted him last year and that was how I had found out. Not only that, but I found out my sister was off gallivanting with your bloody kind!" When 'your bloody kind' came out of his mouth, Deborah could sense all the hate in it. She sat down on the barrel that was next to his and he noticed the slight frown on her face; he sat down next to him, calming down his previous outburst. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."

"No need for apologies," she started, "I think if I was in your position I would feel the exact same way." She laid her head on his shoulder and Christopher looked down at her questionably, but didn't take his shoulder away from her. Deborah inquired to him, "Your sister never told you about her?"

Christopher remained quiet for a moment, and the silence made it almost uncomfortable to be around. She was patiently waiting, unsure of what else there _was _to do other than that. After the seemingly long wait, he stated to her, "No, my sister barely knew I existed up until last year. Jeremiah and mum, Jeremiah being my father's name, never mentioned my exit to her nor did she acknowledge my existence. I sent her multiple letters, but my father took them before she had gotten a chance to read them. He hated me. Despised me, actually. I was the regrettable mistake of the relationship." He chuckled sadly. "Hell, he even kicked her out because she wanted to go with me."

Debbie picked up her head and nodded, "At least you know who your dad is. For me, I don't know. My father is somewhere out on the seas, or in London, or in the Caribbean, damn, maybe in Singapore."

"You don't know who he is?" He asked her in shock.

She shook her head no, "My proposed father that was married to my mother, Lawrence Sheppard. Good man, good and religious. Hence my name. Black hair. My mother had dark brown. He had blue eyes, my mother had green. I didn't match them, I have my mother's looks, but people came up to me before and said that I don't look anything like my father. I mean, how could a blonde haired babe come out of _that_." She chuckled halfheartedly. "He was still my father though."

Christopher noted to her, "That's all in past tense."

She nodded, biting her lip and laying her head on his shoulder comfortably. Christopher placed his hand over hers that was lying on her lap and looked down at the woman's head that was there. Although, no matter the comfortable silence they were in, he felt more than uncomfortable, feeling a pair of dark eyes on him and her. He didn't want to look at who was looking at him, he tried to ignore it.

* * *

"Where are we going to continue our search, Captain?" Gibbs asked him with a slight frown on his face. Jack looked over at him tiredly, leaving the Cantina was harder than any of them had thought. The brawl was so rough that they had almost got caught up in it themselves. Nicolette still held onto Jack's hand tightly, trying to catch her breath after leaving that chaos, could she even call it that? Both her and Jack didn't realize that they were still holding onto each other, nor did they care. It seemed slightly normal and modern for them.

Jack sighed, "Thank God, for your brains and intellect Mr. Gibbs to suggest that other crew members like Marty and... that other man to be stationed at other taverns," Jack paused thinking of the man's name in his head. He looked over at Nicky and asked her, "who was that other man, love?"

She shrugged looking up at him, "I don't think there was another man. Unless it was supposed to be Chris, but he had come with us to the tavern, so I doubt it."

Jack looked at her puzzled for a moment, strange, he had remembered that he had sent someone else to a different tavern. He turned back to Gibbs with his lips pursed, "I think what we should do for now is check those roasters... or roaster, and see where to go from there."

Gibbs nodded and inquired, "And if we get a heading?" Nicolette looked at Jack and wondered the same thing. The heading would be pointed where though? She didn't need to ask that. She knew very well by now. The chest. Jack for a moment looked crossed and unsure if that was going to be a possibility. Nicolette bit her bottom lip and wasn't sure if she should answer for him as Jack started looking down at the ground. He didn't seem so sure if he would answer him.

She stated for him, despite her better judgment, "We will cross that bridge when we get over it, Mr. Gibbs." Jack snapped his head to look over at her in shock, but also relief. Gibbs looked at her confused for a moment, but nevertheless nodded to her. Nic added for him, "Carry on, then. Step to! If we be wanting to leave in a few hours then we might as well get this over with." Gibbs wasn't sure if he should leave or not, Nicolette never usually _gave_ such orders like that. He looked up at Jack for consent, but he nodded in agreement. Stole the words out of his mind, damn enchantress. Gibbs didn't seem puzzled anymore, so he decided to proceed through Tortuga.

Jack was left alone with her. They stood still in what seemed to be time and they were staring off into where Gibbs had walked off. Nicolette felt, suddenly awkward with him, she was starting to regret ordering Gibbs to sort of leave. Both him and her started to feel how they felt the night before. Not angry at each other, but not themselves at all. Jack was the first to say something, it was something in the form of a question, "Who gave you authority to give orders?" It didn't sound cold like he would say to others. Nicolette wasn't phased by it and she wasn't surprised by that question.

They didn't look at each other as she spoke, "No one. I knew that you would seem flustered, so I thought like you and took charge."

Jack scoffed at her and dropped her hand. She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head at him curiously. There was no reason in having an argument with her. To be honest, he was tired of that. This last month, well maybe two, it wasn't an easy path to follow, there were so many bumps they had to go over along the way. He actually had always had something to say to her, but for once, he wasn't able to. Nicolette was waiting, he could tell. And as they were searching each others eyes, they figured that they were unpredictable at the moment of what they were going to do next.

She bit her bottom lip nervously and tried to breathe, air was at a low supply for her. Jack was the first to move. He looked down at her bandaged hand that was thick enough to cover her wrist. Jack pursed his lips and took a step forward, Nicolette leaned in, thinking that he was going to kiss her passionately like she wanted him to do (she was actually waiting for it), but instead he took her hand carefully. Her eyes that were shut a second ago opened and her lips felt like they were disappointed. Nicolette tried not to seethe as his fingers untied them to see the wound itself. He never really looked at it.

Her wrist was dried up with blood and Jack saw the flesh torn around the bone. It almost seemed broken, but when he flapped it around, she didn't hiss in pain, loudly anyway, like any normal person would when they had a broken wrist. If it was broken, it wouldn't make a difference, while it was heeling she'd be not relaxing anyway. She was just that type of person, always had to be working, her father brought her up like that. Nicky didn't bother taking it away as Jack just looked at it in deep shock. His eyes were stuck and he didn't bother to hide his gaping expression toward it.

He commented on it, "Seems broken. Jones held you tightly that night, didn't he? I should have tended to it right away."

She chuckled sadly with a slight smile, "It isn't broken. I'd been working all day today, so I could use it. And I tended it myself."

Jack laughed and smirked smugly, "I could tell, darling. I could have done a better job, to be sure." She rolled her eyes and matched the smirk he had, but didn't say anything. Jack's rough calloused fingers, gently stroke it as he stated, "If I would have done it, I don't think it would leave a scar like it would now, love..." he said love more cautiously than he had meant to, unsure how she would react to it, but she didn't respond. Good.

She replied to him, looking up into his eyes and gulping, "Well, some scars aren't meant to be healed, Jack."

Jack looked at her curiously, there was no Captain in that. The moonlight that shone over them in Tortuga brightened their slight sight of each other. He wanted to test the waters. Jack had brought her wrist to his mouth and kissed where her knuckles should be softly. Her breath caught in her throat and she tried swallowing it down, but it just wouldn't go. She was frozen where she stood and she developed a slight nervous smile as Jack dropped her hand and moved toward her slowly. When their lips were inches apart, Jack's hand went to her cheek and with the pad of his thumb he stroked it lightly.

"Jack?" Jack was starting to close in on his target. Her lips were calling him as he made his way. Jack didn't respond, his lips smashed passionately on hers, surprising her... almost. Nicolette couldn't do anything other than kiss him back with the same intensity that he had given her. As their lips moved, they both didn't realize that they had been backing up toward a wall. Her back hit roughly against it. Jack moved away from her lips and looked into her hazel eyes that drove him mad at times. Nicolette took this time to catch her breath as he snaked his arms around her waist so that she was brought closer to him.

"Maybe we could stay _more_ than a few more hours, savvy?" Jack observed to her as his breath hit Nicolette's lips lightly. She cocked a brow and he persuaded her, "You know, rent a room for the night, stay in it, take part in roomy activities. You know, that sort of activity."

"You drive a hard bargain." She stated to him with a slight smirk. He smiled seeing it, but it soon dropped when she added, "But, we really, _really_ shouldn't, we have other important obligations to tend to, Sparrow. Like getting," she started to name examples while moving her hands to rub his shoulders, "that debt of yours settled, being a Captain, not making stupid decisions. You know, those sort of things."

"They could wait." Jack urged as he swept a loose strand of hair that fell onto her face out from under that damned hat she had taken off his head. It was now behind her ear. "What about for an hour?"

Nicky chuckled, trying to get out of his hold, but she found that she couldn't. His arms were locked around her waist firmly. She commented, "Tempting."

Jack pondered with a smirk, "Tempting, enough?"

She smiled softly and shook her head no, The smirk was wiped off of Jack's face quickly and he groaned disappointed. But he complied simply and backed away from her with a slight frown. Nicolette kept her smile and suggested to him that made him slightly perk up, "How about this? We go to the ship and check up on the crew to be sure that the new members are accommodated and loading the ship like they _are _supposed to, and _then_ get a room for an hour. Hmm?"

Jack smirk came back right away and he moved toward her wrapping an arm around her waist to claim his possession once more. He stated to her, "I like the way you think." She smiled knowingly and they carried on walking back to the docks to get started on that little idea.

* * *

Norrington was weakly walking on his legs as Elizabeth was keeping a weathered eye by the docks to see the ship with black sails. Elizabeth looked at him for a moment with disgust and asked, "What possessed you to do what you did back there, James?"

James scoffed, what did she think? He had lost his life to that pirate and seeing him in Tortuga and after having plenty to drink, he felt his blood boil when he saw Nicolette behind the bar. He knew Jack was also there with that, that first mate of his, and what do you know? He was right. He also saw another familiar face, but that man wouldn't step a foot in Tortuga unless the world had turned upside down. James stated to her sarcastically, "Gee, I don't know what had possessed me to do such a thing in there, Miss. Swann."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, hearing the sarcasm in it. She continued looking for the _Black Pearl_ to see if it was moored somewhere, but, of course... wait. Her eyes caught two familiar figures walking side by side, arm around waist. Though the woman's hair could've been anyone, but the man's hair and posture, and even clothing, matched the man she was looking for. Her lips faltered into an excited smile and she looked at James with a slight more perkiness. James barely acknowledged it and she yet again rolled her eyes. She looked back forward at them with her lips settling in a frown. Where was Will? That was the golden question.

If he went looking for them, then wouldn't he _be_ with them? This didn't seem right. She looked back at James, who seemed to be looking at something himself with slight interest. "I found them." She stated to him, but he didn't seem to care. His eyes were transfixed on two people. Well, rather, _a_ person. Elizabeth looked over to where was he staring at, but to her she found that it was only nothing. But James, thought he had saw that _one_ man that had came the night before Sparrow escaped.

_"Mr. Grayson," Norrington looked at the man that had entered his office later than he had ordered his second command to bring him in. That was hours ago and now this man decided to stride in with his arrogant head up high and his uniform worn proudly. He gestured for the man to sit down, and he accepted with much ease. James sat down in front of him with his hands folded appropriately on top of his desk. Grayson just looked at the man with a slight smile that seemed a bit familiar, but James didn't say a word about it. He said to him, "You know that I have sent for you hours ago. Did your first mate just get that message to you now?"_

_He still kept a sheepish smile and stated to the Commodore, "I haven't been on my ship all day, sir. I didn't even know a message was sent to bid my arrival. I want to congratulate you on your recent capture of the Black Pearl and its crew. Finally, the seas can be sailed through without that venomous crew sailing our waters."_

_James tried to hide the fact that he was flattered by that. Yes, he was very proud of himself for accomplishing such as that. He muttered a thank you to him and then cleared his throat to not only clear that, but clear his head as well. But before he could continue the conversation to him, Grayson congratulated him again, "Oh, and congratulations for the engagement, Commodore. Caught dangerous pirates and have a lucky lass on your side are two very dear achievements to go along with your promotion. You must be pleased."_

_Though the compliments he was giving him were rolling out one after another, James was getting quite annoyed with it. James said to him with an annoyed tone in his voice, "Thank you, Mr.—."_

_"Sorry, sir, but it should be Captain." Christopher corrected him smugly. Great, another one of those, James thought to himself. _

_James tried holding in his agitation and impatience to be home and go to sleep after his long voyage to save Elizabeth. But it was clearly seen in his eyes. James tried again, "I beg your pardon, Captain Grayson. Thank you. But can we get to the task at hand, please? Now, if you didn't know that you were supposed to see me at this time then why are you here at the moment?"_

_"Ah, right!" His mood seemed to be perky, but his face had shown otherwise. He sat up and shown a serious frown to him. Christopher stated to him, "I've come to not only for the business of my company, but as a favor for my employer. Seems to me recently, you had a raid that was strangely one of the worst your port has ever seen. Lord Beckett had sent me to see if that it was still safe for our presence to be held here, and any other place in the Caribbean that requires our services. It worried his business, really." James couldn't tell if he was lying or not, but so far he didn't see any such activity so far. _

_He gestured for him to continue, which the man gladly did. "Though, from what I've seen during my stay that in a short time you'd been doing so many improvements. Catching the brigands that had done the deed, looks very good for you." James tried to hide his speculation of the man that he was developing after the **third **compliment, now, why would he want to know this or care about this? It was starting to get odd and awkward. James reminded himself that this was the man that Beckett trusted along with his assistant to do his work outside on the water. _

_"Once again, thank you for that." Why did it seem that the man was actually making him say thank you multiple times. It wasn't needed to be said as much, though. James added, before the Captain continued, "But why would the East India Trading Company be in charge of how I run things in here? They aren't supposed to be in the political power, nevertheless the military power in the Caribbean."_

_"Like I said, the Lord Beckett wanted to be sure that it would be safe enough to be working in this region and we wouldn't have to be worried about being looted or even have our ships sunk."_

_James scoffed, like he would believe that. He sat back in his chair and looked the man over. That didn't sound right at all. He had gotten up and sent the Captain out of his office, hoping that would be the last he would see of him or hear of that company. But a month or two later when his career as Commodore became a blur, he had received a warning from the King himself, proposing this meeting as fraud and that Grayson wasn't here on what he had said he was here for. The message from the King was something that would start tearing down his career, it stated that his fort was too disorganized and that Commodore Norrington wasn't in any condition to be in charge with a notorious pirate on the loose. _

_The message also requested that a new order from a representative of the King should be in charge of Port Royal. When James received it, he only stared at two words that had represented a name, Cutler Beckett._

"James?" He snapped out of his thoughts and gaze then glanced at Elizabeth before following pursuit of her, seeing that she was already a good distance toward the docks. When the _Black Pearl _was coming in their view, it was evident that Jack and Nicolette were walking side by side quickly to board the ship. Elizabeth tried not to smile, but no matter her joy she felt a slight disappointment seeing that Will was not with them at all. "Captain Sparrow?" She called, Nicolette knew the voice immediately and her face slightly dropped, damn. Really? Now of all times?

She quickly looked behind her shoulder to see that it was in fact Elizabeth Swann in men clothing, walking slightly ahead of James, who was still slightly staggering. Jack only did a slight glance, but didn't catch what Nicolette had caught. He stated to the proposed man, "Come to join me crew, lad. Welcome aboard." Nicolette tried not to chuckle out loud.

"I'm here to find the man I love." This time Nicolette did chuckle and she stopped in her place along with Jack who was just wide-eyed and gaping at whatever was in front of him. Jack's grip around Nicky had tightened and she was brought closer to him as a way to show to whoever that was that he already had someone. She smiled knowingly and looked up at Jack who seemed shocked that she found this amusing.

He thought fast, and as Gibbs was passing by checking on the new recruits as well, Jack stated with a slight head nod to leave as soon as possible to him, "I'm deeply flattered, son, but my first and only two loves are this woman and the sea."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes from behind and kept her hands at her side as she leaned slightly on her right leg. She informed Jack, "Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow."

* * *

_**Thank you all for reading! Hopefully the next time that I can write will be really soon because I'm on my Spring Break. Hope everyone has a lovely day :)**_

_**Review?**_


	15. Revelations and Starting Deals

_**Hey! I was going to post this tomorrow and this chapter was going to be longer, but I changed my mind. I just realized that all that is left in DMC is the island, the fight for the chest (my favorite part and what I am most excited to write), the Kraken with Jack's death (which... I definitely don't want to write, but I already bought the tissues for when I do), and then Barbossa's return (HA! I'm actually really excited to write that, never know what may happen ;)). It's all sad (especially since DMC is in fact a sad movie in my perspective) and I really don't want it to end. But, then, there's AWE, and if that goes accordingly, then On Stranger Tides, and remembering that it won't end for a while makes me happy again! You guys are great, thank you for the lovely reviews you leave me and the alerts and favorites. **_

_**Hope you enjoy the chapter! And if I don't update before it, Happy Easter and Happy Passover!**_

_**P.S. Congratulations to merlincrazy for being number 100!**_

* * *

_Chapter Fifteen: Revelations and Starting Deals_

"Elizabeth." Jack muttered under his breath shocked. Gibbs stayed where he was and Jack turned sharply to him after taking one more quick glance at Elizabeth to be sure that it was her, it was. He stated to Gibbs softly, "Hide the rum." Nicolette smiled at her as she turned around to face Elizabeth along with Jack who wasn't sure to be happy to see her or to be rather disappointed to see her. He stated to her, "You know, those clothes don't seem to flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing and I happen to have no dress in my cabin."

Nicolette nudged his ribs roughly and glared at him before going back to looking at Elizabeth letting her smile make its way back on her face. She should have expected this, why didn't she? If Will was around, Elizabeth was right around the corner to greet them. They were just like clock hands, once the first one came around, the second just ticks on behind it. She greeted her, "Hello Elizabeth. Pleasure as always."

"Nic! You don't look any different." She said far too jubilant than Nicky expected and before long she had found herself in a tight embrace that she wasn't expecting either. Nicolette's face dropped, realizing how tight that Elizabeth was holding her. "Port Royal isn't the same without you." Elizabeth stated to her. Hadn't they only _start _their friendship when she had left. Nic couldn't say that she wasn't flattered by that. She was actually sort of happy to hear that she had caused impact in some peoples' lives, or rather someone else's life by leaving that dreaded place.

Nicolette didn't have anything other than to say to her as she retreated from her, "It's great to see you again, Elizabeth. I've missed both you and Will at home." Part of that was true. When she was talking to Will about her adventures as a pirate, part of her wished that it was Elizabeth who was hearing this rather than him since she actually fantasized about meeting one in her life and she was interested in them. Unlike him.

Elizabeth looked her up and down with the same smile, but at the mention of Will it soon dropped. That was why she was here, she couldn't forget that. She snapped her head back to Jack as Nicolette went to her original position next to Jack, looking at Elizabeth curtly. She stated to him, "Jack, I know Will came to find you." Her tone almost sounded desperate and unsure whether or not this was a good idea. She added, "Where is he?"

Nicolette looked down feeling guilty that they would have to tell her this. She glanced up at Jack who was bracing himself, but not for what she had thought for, before explaining to her the current situation at hand. Well, parts of the situations, like he was going to tell her all of it. Jack started, "Darling, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but..." he trailed off seeing Elizabeth's eyes grow weary. She almost didn't want to hear it. An idea of his was starting to formulate in his mind and the constant dangling of his compass looped on his belt helped it grow into a full blown plan.

He continued off with a lie and he cautiously took Elizabeth's shoulders in his hands. "But through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable series of circumstances that had nothing to do whatsoever with me," he said that all through one breath in a speed that no one could catch. Nicolette raised an eyebrow at him as he continued, "poor Will has been press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew." _That bastard_, she couldn't believe him...

Elizabeth only caught Davy Jones. She repeated, "Davy Jones?"

James' regrettable voice came back into their hearing and they all looked at him annoyed by his interruption. They almost had forgotten that he had actually been here. He had been throwing up his dinner and drink over the dock railing. "Oh, please. The Captain of the _Flying Dutchman._"

"You look bloody awful, mate. What are you doing here?" Jack asked, catching Norrington's stench in his sense of smell' already. He smelled worst than him.

"You hired me." James straightened up, but leaned forward like he was drunk enough to pass out suddenly. "I can't help it that your standards are at a lax." _He conducts a definite fault. _Nicolette thought to herself, hating the fact that she actually agreed with that man. Jack _did_ in fact hire him over reasons and standards that were at a lax.

She bit her tongue, feeling the glare that she would get from him already if she let that mouth go off. Jack retorted to him rather childish, "You smell funny!"

Both Elizabeth and Nicolette rolled their eyes at the two of them and looked at Jack tiredly. Both tried bringing him back into the current situation and away from a starting banter with James. "Jack," they both stated in equal annoyance at him. Nic gave her a quick look, before going to Norrington to care for him, or tend to him. She actually didn't care less about him, but she didn't want him regurgitating all over the dock and cause injury on the dock of their own crew. Elizabeth continued for her, "All I want is to find Will."

Jack once again sensed the desperation and the exasperation of this want and he sighed, "I know." Who didn't? That was all the couple wanted to do was to 'find each other' or 'keep the other one safe.' It was rather pathetic, really. His eyes had brightened up though, if there was a time to do what he needed to do, this time was _now._ He narrowed his eyes at her in a mischievous manner. As Nicolette pushed Norrington's head over the railing and pulled his eh, muddy hair out of the way so he wouldn't get any chunks in it, she noticed something. The way he was looking at her, the desperate tone in Elizabeth's voice, all pointed to one thing, he was using _her _plan!

"Are you certain?" He started with a look in his eyes that made Elizabeth question if she should trust it. Should she? She was certain, of course. He added with a slight persuasive tone, "Is that what you_ really _want?"Nicolette made a face catching a glimpse of Norrington's dinner, lunch, and most likely breakfast. How the hell did she get stuck doing this? What John had said earlier came into her hearing again, _'Miss. Nicolette, your generous nature surpasses us all here, I fear.'_ He would mock her more if he caught sight of this.

Elizabeth replied truthfully with slight caution, "Of course."

Jack nodded knowingly, they both were one of the same person. He explained, "Because I would think," he took a couple of steps forward, "that you would want a way to _save_ Will most." Nicolette rolled her eyes and looked away from James to look at Jack in disbelief. He caught a glimpse, but didn't bother with her. This was _her_ bloody plan!

"And you have a way of doing that?" She inquired disbelieving him. What exactly would Jack do for him?

Jack said, cutting right to the point, "Well, there is a chest."

James mustered an, "Oh dear." He got the jest of it already. Nicolette couldn't allow him to say anymore. She kneed him in the back of his leg and his knee buckled causing him to once again throw up over the dock's railing. She grabbed a bunch of his hair and even some of his matted wig and forced his head down. Norrington groaned.

Nic didn't want to hear it, "Oh, keep quiet, will you?" she snarled.

Jack continued ignoring the two of them, "A chest of unknown size and origin."

Pintel and Ragetti were carrying a crate over to the ship's hull. They caught a glimpse of Jack's manipulation, but were too foolish to stay out of it. "And what contains the still beating heart of Davy Jones!" He stated to Elizabeth excitedly.

Ragetti made heart noises as he passed and mimed a throbbing heart with his hand. Both Jack and Nicolette glared at them for them to go away to give Jack room to do what he was best at. With a slight annoyed sigh, Jack turned his attention back to the woman with some need. "And whoever possesses that chest possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever he or she wants." His eyes seemed to brighten up with his annoyed tone at the two. Jack went to take his compass off of his belt while stating to her what she wanted, "Including, saving brave William from his grim fate."

James took himself out of Nicolette's hold and she rolled her eyes, shrugging. She was at least _trying_ to help him. He staggered behind Elizabeth and asked her, "You don't actually believe him do you?"

She ignored James, "How can we find it?"

"With this." Jack brought his compass to Elizabeth's view, she looked at it questionably. "My compass... is unique."

James once again intruded, "Unique, here having the meaning of broken." The compass didn't point North so there really was no use in going to find said chest. Nicolette glared at him and took him by the arm roughly and to the railing where he once again vomited over. She had enough of it and she walked away to Jack who was going to continue.

"True enough," Jack started again after the rude interruption. He held it in front of her face with both of his hands while continuing, "this compass does not point North."

_Well, that's strange, where does it point,_ thought Elizabeth. She arched a brow and asked curiously, "Where does it point?"

Jack's expression seemed to have brightened up by it and he smirked, "It points to whatever you want most, in this world." Elizabeth's eyes widened, and she chuckled shaking her head in denial. That couldn't possibly be the truth. Why would it be? Nothing like that ever existed before... had it? She wasn't quite sure. She looked at Jack for a moment and then glanced at Nicolette who was lingering next to him. She would tell the truth. Knowing the question already, she nodded to her and mouthed that it was true.

Elizabeth's face seemed to brighten up as well. That was perfect! She could find him easily with that. Jack continued when he saw her blush and bite down on her bottom lip accepting the truth of it. "And what you want most in this world," he took Elizabeth's hands so she could hold it and then placing it in her hands while enveloping his hands securely over it. "is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?"

"To save Will." She corrected while looking at Jack cautiously, now she didn't quite believe him.

Jack sighed annoyed, but nevertheless carried his same smile on his lips. "By finding the chest of Davy Jones." He removed his hands over hers and then opened the compass for her own eyes. Quickly, he took several steps back and that left only Nicolette and Elizabeth looking over it slightly. But with Nicky there Jack was worried that it would cause a slight interference, so he reached forward to grab her hand to pull her away. She looked up at him in disbelief. "Don't want you interfering with her wants, do I?" He said to her and she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Jack." She muttered under her breath slightly annoyed. She crossed her arms over her chest and inquired to him, "Still think that your plan is good when my plan is being put into far more better use?" Jack raised his eyebrow at her and thought back to earlier in the tavern when she had suggested it before. Oh, right, that was her idea. He would be sure to credit her later at some point... Jack caught a glimpse Elizabeth's shocked expression and he looked over slightly amused by it. He sauntered over quickly and bent down next to her.

Nicolette arched her brow and followed him. She stayed at the other side of Elizabeth and saw the needle that made a steady point toward the end of the dock. She looked across from her to see Jack smiling like a fool would. She muttered in disbelief, "It actually worked."

Jack never took his eyes off of the needle, "Uh, Mr. Gibbs!" Gibbs ran over to him.

"Aye, Captain?" He wasn't sure of what Jack was smiling about. The _very_ new crew members that Gibbs had picked up on his way to the _Pearl_, maybe? Or the compass?

Jack answered standing straight up, "We have our heading!"

Something went through Gibbs. Was it joy? Relief? Or a little bit of both? Gibbs exclaimed, "Finally!" Nicolette chuckled to herself seeing his excitement then heard orders from him, "Cast off those lines! Weigh anchor and crowd the canvas!" Christopher who wasn't too far away was walking Debbie back to her own ship. His head snapped up hearing Gibbs' raspy tone ring around and he sighed. He let go of her hand and she turned to him with her eyebrow raised.

"I have to go." He stated and she looked down with a slight nod. He smiled subtly and took her hand again in his once again. "We'll see each other again."

"No we won't." She said to him seriously, taking it back. Christopher frowned at her and she sighed annoyed that he actually thought that they would continue. Deborah explained to him with a frown that actually matched his, "I'm afraid that our paths would never cross unless it is at a hanging. We're from two worlds that should never be overlapped, Chris. I'm sorry, but this is goodbye."

He didn't say anything, he only nodded in agreement while pursing his lips. Debbie lingered for a moment and then after one look into his eyes she finally turned on her heel to head for her own ship. Christopher stood there glued to where he was, he didn't think he could move. He watched _Captain_ Deborah Sheppard leave him and her body swung back and forth like it was a way to taunt him. He muttered under his breath, "Goodbye."

"Uh, Christopher?" His sister's voice made it to his ears and he sighed while his heart continued to sink to its furthest depth. He looked down at the ground of Tortuga and turned around to see Nic look at him with concern. "You alright there?" Her voice was soft and so far, it was the nicest he had ever heard it. It actually sounded caring and loving. It almost seemed foreign to him. He didn't say a word to her, but he nodded anyway. She chuckled with a sweet smile, "Are you coming with us or are we just going to leave you here? We finally have our heading."

Heading. They had their heading. That only meant one thing. They had the destination of the heart. The heart of Davy Jones. He would have to bring that to Beckett and not only take the heart with him, but her, too. Christopher should be happy, but why did he feel morally wrong? He nodded, "Great!" He faked a cheerful voice and and smile and Nic didn't see past it. She didn't know her brother well enough to tell if he was faking or not yet. She gestured for him to follow her and with some hesitation from him she was ahead of him slightly.

James made a face as the goat in his hands tried to snap at him with his gnawing teeth used to thaw the ground. _Ugh_, he groaned. For him to stoop so low from the Navy made him feel so... pathetic. Oh, the things he would do just for it all back. The things, the things. He couldn't even count them out since the number was so extreme. He proceeded behind the lining crew who were holding items for the ship's hull. But, he felt a tap on his shoulder, which made him stop in his place. He flickered his eyes to see that it was only the man's wench. He rolled his eyes.

"It's you."

"Who else?" She retorted with a crooked smile that made James question everything that she was. Nicolette was the only person that was a pirate that he actually, sort of, no. She was actually nothing of the sort of a friend, not even an acquaintance, why would he even begin to think that? Though, she did do acts of kindness that surprised him at some points. That woman was just full of surprises that he didn't like. He wasn't for those type of things. "Listen, James," he silently cringed at her calling him James, but didn't say anything, "I know we had our past and it has been rough around—."

He just had to interrupt her and continue forward as some members of the crew past them with things in their hands, "Only rough? Miss. Brown, I think our 'rough around the edges' as you were going to say had been _more _than rough. So if you—."

Instead of continuing with what she was about to say, she was amused. She stated to him to unnerve him a bit to keep her amusement up, "For a pirate you're very formal."

James stopped again and turned to her insulted that she had the _nerve _to even say that to him. She smirked, enjoying the look plastered on the man's face. He stated to her with his tone equaling to his expression, "I am _not_ a pirate."

The smirk turned into a smile, "Had me fooled." And with that, before James could say anything else she vanished into the line of the crew to go onto the _Pearl._ James rolled his eyes, his hatred of that woman could not amount to any other hatred for another person. Well, there might be one.

James found himself at the end of the line rather than where he had been before. He sighed and before carrying the goat and trudging onto the deck to the _Black Pearl_, someone collided with him causing him to stumble. James looked up at the man with disbelief as he passed and glance behind his shoulder. "Sorry." The man muttered to him, his tone sounded a bit depressed, but it sounded familiar. In fact, James could recognize it anywhere. His failure as Commodore started with _him._

"You?" He snarled and Christopher cocked his brow. That voice. No, that wasn't it. He only had heard it once and obviously the man was in Port Royal. Despite what he had thought, though, he turned around hesitantly.

"Uh, yeah, me." He stated with a fake smile that didn't show his teeth. He gave him a confused look that left Norrington to question if he was actually the man. "Expecting someone else there, mate?" Chris inquired and James' face fell.

"Your name?" He started and Christopher nodded slowly for him to continue, "Are you Captain Grayson?" _Oh shit... _Commodore Norrington. Now that the voice was fully coded with his heavy military tone, he couldn't have been more sure than ever. He looked so much... different from his proper self that he became acquainted with a year ago. Well, not acquainted with, met with, would be the better phrase. He looked disheveled. He seemed to not have shaven in a while and he had mud all over himself like he had been thrown in it.

What was he going to say to him? He couldn't think of anything, but another person that knew that he was or was still with the EITC on the ship was too much. You didn't know who had the worst mouth out of them. He huffed, there was only one thing _to_ say to him. He pointed his finger at him and stated to James with his voice cautious and clear, "Look, I have no idea why and how you're here, but don't you dare say anything about me being here. My name's Brown. Not Grayson. Got it?"

"Brown?" Christopher didn't bother explaining to the former Commodore his situation, he was bound to find out anyway. He rolled his eyes and proceeded to go on the deck of the _Black Pearl_ with James behind him who was slowly registering.

* * *

"What are those?" The next day Nicolette saw Jack, Gibbs, and Elizabeth talking by the end of the stairs that led to the helm. They had been sailing to wherever they had been sailing to for a couple of hours. The only destination they knew that they were looking for was land. Jack looked over at Nicolette disappointed in not only her, but himself. He should've saw it coming. He was so naïve. She arched her brow and looked at them, her eyes widened in realization. "Letters of Marque?" Jack opened them for her and she saw a signature at the bottom. A signature that she didn't like at all. "With a signature, too."

Before Jack or Gibbs could reply to her to confirm it, Elizabeth's voice chimed in, "Yes, they are signed. Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company." Nic's face dropped as she glanced toward Jack. That could only mean one thing.

Gibbs stated to Jack with fear, "Will was working for Beckett and didn't say a word."

Nicolette didn't know that. Being late in the conversation, she asked, "Wait, why would Will be working for Beckett?"

"Turns out Will had these, too, to bargain with me, love. But he didn't bother to say _anything_ or give us these for the compass." Jack explained for her. Her face dropped further and her eyes immediately directed toward Christopher who was leaning over the railing looking at the waves of the water. That bastard. If Will came here looking for the compass then surely, obviously, Christopher was working for him, too. That lying bastard! She'd kill him.

She looked to Jack and stated slowly, "If Will was working with Beckett then that means that Chris—."

Nicolette snapped her head to Gibbs as he finished for her, "was working for him as well."

"Oh God," she started shaking her head in denial, "I'll kill him." She stated to them and went to go talk to that damn wretch, but someone grabbed her arm. She looked up to see that it was Jack who had his face hardened as he looked at her.

"You will do no such thing." Jack stated to her. "We're going to act like we don't know this and when the time come, we'll just mention it."

"What?" She replied.

"Did you know about this?"

"Does it look like I did? Hell no. If I had known, we'd be throwing him in with the sharks right now." She tried to keep her voice hushed, so wandering eyes would not catch them now, but it was quite hard, too. Norrington, who wasn't too far away, heard tidbits of their conversation. He stopped, temporarily, swabbing the deck like the other new recruits to listen in their conversation. Nicolette pursed her lips and nodded, she agreed with Jack, they should keep this to their selves. Even though Jack had the feeling that he was in cahoots with them the first time he had met the man.

Nicolette looked to Elizabeth and asked, "Did Will mention this to you?" She snapped out of her thoughts, she didn't remember what they were, and looked up at Nic with an eyebrow arched. She rolled her eyes and tried again, "Did Will tell you that my brother was coming with him... to find us?" She looked to Jack and stated to him, in denial that he would do this to them, to _her_. "Maybe, he didn't know that Christopher was coming with him until after he had known to be working for Beckett like he actually came for the reason he had came." Jack knew that that wasn't true at all, but if she wanted to believe that fine, her optimism was what kept her going at some points. But other times it was her hidden malicious nature that she carried sometimes kept her going as well.

"No," Elizabeth started and they turned their heads at her, "Will did mention that a worker from the East India Trading Company, but he didn't specify who that someone is."

"Beckett or Will?" Nic inquired curiously.

"Who else? Will."

Nicolette sighed, she wondered how many _other_ things Will was keeping from her. She wouldn't be surprised if there was much more. No, she actually would. He told her everything there was to know. She wasn't going to say anything to him the next time (if there was going to _be_ a next time) she would see him. She looked to Gibbs, he knew a lot more than any of them put together, she knew. "But what would Beckett _need_ with Jack's compass?"

He shook his head thinking of all the possibilities, but there was only one that had stuck out like a sore thumb to him. "There's only one that he would use that compass for."

Jack looked over at Gibbs, fear striking his face. No, they weren't looking for the same thing, were they? Wouldn't surprise him though, they were looking for the same things plenty of times! Damn man, damn short, dastardly, mangling cur. "Of course." He agreed and then looked at Nicolette with slight concern that she hadn't caught on still. But she had. They both said at the same time, one tone that hinted realization and the other that hinted fear and vulnerability, "The chest."

"Yes," Elizabeth's voice appeared once again and every head of the three that seemed to be the only ones concerned in the circle. She was getting nervous. "He did say something about a chest." Her face dropped, oh god, oh dear. This was not going to happen. She looked up to Jack with her eyes slightly bulging, there wasn't a way to stride around that. Jack knew this of course. He looked to Christopher, that bloody man. He wanted to bloody him up for this now.

Nicolette looked at her like she was an idiot. Her and Will both were the biggest idiots that she had ever met! They were fools! She rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, "Well, that's not a good thing!" Her voice was a loud whisper rather than a shout like she usually did when she was angry. A simple fool would know what the chest would do for Beckett and what he really wanted. She didn't know him personally though, she heard rumors. A lot of them as a matter of fact.

Elizabeth looked at her questionably, "Why?"

Gibbs told her, clearly frightened by his own words. "If the company controls the chest, they'll control the seas!"

Jack added to her clearly angry by this (though his tone argued otherwise), "A discomforting notion, love."

"And bad," Gibbs started to add, "bad for any child that calls himself a 'pirate'." He went to head off with an order while looking at the masts. There was going to be a competition for the chest now and they were going to get there first no matter what. "I think there's a bit more speed coaxed by these sails. Brace the fore-yard!"

Nicolette gulped, this was not good. Not good at all. She looked to Christopher then back at Jack, unsure what to do. "I can't believe this." She stated to him and Elizabeth indirectly. She shook her head still in denial that this was actually happening. "I still cannot believe that he would do this."

"Is it really that unbelievable?" Jack asked her with his tone, emotionless and not very easy for her to comprehend. Nicolette pondered that for a moment and shook her head no slowly. No, it wasn't that unbelievable.

"What should I do? Should I talk to him or should I leave it be for the moment?" She asked him still unsure of what she should do. Jack shrugged, well he wasn't going to be much help, was he? He was never good with these things. He seemed tense all of a sudden though. It was a tenseness that she had never noticed nor have seen before. It was quite foreign, especially since he was the least temperamental out of the two. She looked to Elizabeth for advice, something that she never thought to be doing, but clueless times called for clueless measures. Or desperate times called for desperate measure? She couldn't even think straight!

Elizabeth sighed and laid a hand on her shoulder, nodding toward him, "I say, you ask him about it and just see what he says, you know if he lies to you, so it's not going to be that bad."

"I'll keep that in mind." She stated to her and then turned her attention to the sails above. "Might as well help Gibbs with the slight competition to the chest we're going to start." She walked off to help Gibbs and that was when James started to see Sparrow flirting, or that was what it seemed, with Miss. Swann. Nicolette didn't seem to be paying attention as much as she should have. He looked at Christopher, not really caring about those two. That would make sense that he was with Beckett, but it would make even more sense that he was going to retrieve the heart for him as well.

James had gotten up from his knees and then noticed something that and his t was definitely entertaining, Jack getting rejected by her. Or was it like that? James thought that he was still drunk from the night before so he didn't know what was the truth and what was not the truth. Elizabeth walked to the same railing that Christopher was at but in a safe distance. Instead of heading over to her first, though she was looking over the railing, blushing like a fool. He had gotten up from his spot where his soaked powdered wig lied limply and walked over to Christopher who was finished with his work.

"How is it an East India Trading Company officer finds his way with brigands on a ship?" James pondered out loud next to him. Christopher rolled his eyes and looked over to see the former Commodore next to him with his eyes narrowed and a slight smirk tugging its way through.

He retorted, "Just like how a Commodore climbs down a social ladder to be with drunken ingrates."

Usually, James would be offended by that, but not now. Oh no, no, no, no, no. Not now at all. He had something against him and he would gladly use it. He said to him, "Ah, so you sailed through a hurricane and gotten your title striped away and then you were forced to join the bleak abyss of where piracy causes havoc among each other because every other Navy port laughs at your current failure. Oh and not to mention that part of it all started with a report that included the mentioning of the escape of a fugitive. Who, in fact, actually owns this ship. Oh, let us not forget that measly detail, shall we?"

Christopher couldn't relate to that. He was searching for something similar, but to his dismay he only found one thing. "Well," he started with a slight smirk, "got my title striped away."

James hummed, likely answer. He stated to him, "That's interesting. Last I checked that you still use that title, Grayson."

"It's Brown!" Christopher snapped at him with his hand outward to stop the former Commodore in what he was speaking he turned to him and looked around tense noticing that it was far too loud to be said. James smiled amused, who wouldn't? Grayson, no, _Brown_, tried to keep composure in front of him, but James still saw the tense look on his face. He tried saying, "I thought I told you in Tortuga to not mention that here."

James shrugged and admitted, "You did." Christopher looked at him like, really? He couldn't have been more stupid. He went to look back over the railing once more when James caught him again. But this time he didn't bother hiding his worried and nervous look as it came out of James mouth. "Funny, how they had found out that Will was working with Beckett the whole time he was on the _Pearl_ and your title was striped away."

"What do you mean?" He inquired.

"Oh, I think you know what I mean. Your sister, Nicolette is your sister, right?" He never mentioned it to James nor had Nicolette. He was only left to assume the obvious. Christopher nodded slowly for him to continue and Norrington, of course, didn't hesitate at all, "You sister didn't seem to happy about it and by her glances over here," Christopher _did_ feel glances and eyes burning holes in his back, but not just from Nicolette. He dared himself to take a glimpse and he saw both Mr. Gibbs and her snap their heads to their work, "she and I'm presuming Jack and Gibbs, suspect that there is another operative working for Beckett aboard. She seemed really hurt."

"What do you want?" He asked annoyed, why was James wasting his time with him? He stated to him quietly, but coldly, "If you say that I am partly the reason that your life was ruined then why tell me? Obviously, you want something."

"What do you think?"

"Money?"

"No."

"Rum?"

"No."

"Restoration?"

"Closer." He was close. Well that was good. How would he get restoration though? The Navy wouldn't take him back, obviously. He was probably a disgrace for even sailing through that hurricane. And now that Beckett was running the Royal Navy in... oh dear. He wanted the chest. When realization hit Christopher he looked over at Norrington with disbelief and slight uncertainty if this was a good idea. James didn't need an answer, "We bring the heart to Beckett and have our names back into something that we want back."

"How are you so sure that I even _want_ to do what you want to do?" Christopher asked him, of course that was his intention in the first place is to get the chest along with his sister, for her safety and for his name being cleared and become greater for their hopes. Nicolette, of course, had no idea about it. And knowing her, she would have no part in it. But it wasn't _her_ decision, it was his.

"Oh, come on, Christopher. It's quite obvious." With that Norrington walked away from him to go Elizabeth, leaving Christopher alone to contemplate what had just happened. Nicolette knew. He looked toward her and they locked eyes. She excused herself from working with Mr. Gibbs to go to him. Jack was at the helm looking over the water. Nicolette was steadily making her toward him and each step she had taken made Christopher more and more worried. The other day, Jack had said that he didn't want his head on a sword and overlooking the deck to be as a warning, now it was Christopher who was worried that it was going to be _him_.

He needed a way to think around it and fast.

* * *

_**Hmm, seems like Christopher is at a little competition for that heart there, not just with Jack and Nic, but now James. And for the same reasons! It's going to turn messy, I can tell you that. Hopefully I can update soon, but if I don't then I want to wish you all once again a Happy Easter and Passover. Love you all! xoxo**_

_**Review?**_


	16. X Marks the Spot

_**Hey! Early update, I know, but I said I was going to try and this was an easy chapter to write. (Arguments and a bit of flirting is always easy to write for me. I don't know why) But now, I get to write my absolute favorite fighting scene and I can't wait! I may throw in some surprised that may or may not result in death of one... I'm kidding I wouldn't do that, that's too cruel. Lol, so I hope you all enjoy the chapter and once again, Happy Easter and Passover, since now I'm not going to be updating before then. Hopefully next week.**_

* * *

_Chapter Sixteen: X Marks the Spot_

Nicolette was going through this in her head. What to say, what to say, what _was _there to say? She was going through all her feelings, betrayal. There was one. She could mention that. Insulted. Yes, she was insulted by that piece of filth for ever believing him, who in their right mind wouldn't be?

Tia Dalma's words came to her mind as she walked away from Gibbs, _'You may seem alike in intention wise, but are very unalike in how you reach them. One takes more perseverance in getting that, but that one does it to prove something to someone and is very career oriented. The other is, underestimated, but feels that it's okay to not prove herself at all. The other one smart, charismatic, and let us not forget curious.' _The words almost made her stop in her place, was that what she was referring to? It would make sense, would it?

Distractions, she said something about that, too, right? What distractions was she possibly talking about? Now that Nicolette was really thinking back to that day all that roamed in her mind was questions. Lots and lots of questions that didn't do anything but leave her at a lost. She was getting more and more curious as this all floats to her head. She would have to push it aside, though, Nicolette could sense that that was going to be a difficult task. Christopher was looking at her as she made her way. Not sure whether to run away or hide from her wrath. But she didn't look mad, she looked... conflicted.

Nicolette finally finished her way and looked at Christopher silently with her hand grazing the railing lightly. Christopher gulped, he didn't know which he would like better shouting or silence. Shouting was winning, since it didn't amount to the glare she was giving him. He was waiting for her to talk. And she finally did, with her tone breaking, "I just want to know. Will was working with Beckett. So you were, too." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. She knew that he was working with him still, no doubt, it was quite obvious.

When he had left early from the tavern, when he was stammering the excuse of why he was here, the sudden appearance, not to mention the time when she thought Will, himself, was lying to her about him being her for the reason he said. It all pointed to one thing. And now that Nicolette saw it in front of her eyes as it unfolded in front of her, she didn't realize how oblivious she had been. It made her feel like a bloody fool.

Christopher looked to her, he didn't bother to confirm or deny it. Norrington was right. They _did_ find out about it. He replied, "And what might I ask drew you to that conclusion?"

She laughed halfheartedly, "Why, apparently, Will was honest to his fiancee, bless his soul since that was the only person he was honest _to_." That man was so stupid, he could've gotten away with it if he hadn't told his fiancee about it. He was so whipped, it was sad for Christopher to even look upon. Nic said, "He said to her that Beckett was giving him a colleague to go with him for the compass. It all makes sense that _you_ were that colleague."

He nodded, and to Nicolette's surprise, he actually admitted to it, "You're right. Can't get anything passed you, Nic. You're smart. I'll admit that I was working with Beckett, but I didn't know the reason why. He briefly told me what I was supposed to do, I'm sorry. But now, I'm not doing it anymore." Liar. Christopher wasn't sure how the lie was going to go with her, but what he was sure about was that it was the only way to take away suspicion. Nicolette arched her brow unsure of what to say now, she didn't expect him to admit it right away.

"Well, Grayson,"

Christopher interjected, he thought that she would be the last person to call him that after everything. "God damn it, it's Brown!" He snapped and Nicolette looked at him confused, confused or confirming something. He looked so vulnerable, ever since he had left Tortuga with them, that day had been so down for him and so... odd. He didn't talk to anyone except the exchanged words with James and now with Nicolette. He had no idea why he was like this, he didn't want to know why.

"You should've thought that before you had decided to come!" She snapped back, neither offended or insulted like she felt before. In fact, it wasn't easy to think of what her tone was like, since Christopher was only accustomed to one loud tone and that was anger. And what she snapped with wasn't that either. Nicolette continued, "I said this before, if you don't want your past to convene with your present then why come to me. There really is no point because it makes everything you do ten times more complicated."

"I had no choice but to come! I had absolutely no choice at all because it had everything to do with my present." People were starting to look over, eyes like Jack and James, but they were silent. Elizabeth walked to the bottom of the steps where she plopped herself down. It was Jack. Jack had something to do with Will going on the _Dutchman_. He was going to pay, he was definitely going to pay.

Nicolette pursed her lips and looked around at the wondering eyes annoyed. She shouted, "What in the bloody hell are you all staring at? Back to work, you dogs!" Jack couldn't have said it better himself. He couldn't argue with that order and as the eyes turned away she turned back to Christopher. "There's always a choice."

"Not when, someone like him takes away the only thing that I had ever loved and owned." She looked at him, shocked, knowing exactly what he was talking about. His ship. Beckett took his ship away from him? "Yes, I was Turner's insurance to get the compass." He admitted again. "But I was only doing it to have my ship back. I didn't want to come here at all. Not at all. You didn't really think that I wanted to come here after finding out that Jack Smith was Jack Sparrow the pirate? I wasn't happy at all."

"Ah, so Beckett used you to do what he wanted and it wasn't Patrick—."

"No, it all had to do with O'Connor. He was the one that made the deal with Beckett behind my own back." He stated to her. She parted her lips with a bit of surprised, but not really as shocking. He did seem like the type to do that sort of thing. Christopher seemed to calm down after he snapped at his old name, he was tired of people saying it when it was supposed to be _Brown_. There was a difference.

Nicolette was registering this in her head and shook her head no, "You know, you didn't have to lie to me about it. No, you didn't have to at all. The least I could've done was help keep it for you."

"Didn't want you involved." He was getting better and better with his lying technique.

"I am though, aren't I?" She stated with a sad smile. Christopher didn't bother to laugh nor chuckle at it and looked where the wind was blowing to not look at her. Nicolette sighed and turned her back against the railing, folding her arms over her chest with her lips in a fine line. "The strange thing about this all is that, you told me that you were bringing me back to Port Royal the first day you had gotten on the _Pearl_. You were after the compass with Will, so," Christopher grew tense and his grip on the railing went tighter as she looked at him curiously and confused, "why would you need me?"

He thought of a lie, "I wanted to protect you."

She inched closer to him, he wasn't looking her in the eye. "From what?"

"From pirates." _No one likes a liar, Christopher,_ she thought to herself and her eyes flickered to Jack who was suddenly talking to Elizabeth at the bottom of the stairs. At first, she didn't at all think anything of it. They went back to Christopher and she turned toward him, not directing it in front of Jack and Elizabeth.

She said to him like he was a fool, "Christopher, I'd been dealing with them for a year now, I think I'm more than capable in handling myself in a situation that involves them. There's a deeper reason than that, I know it. And you really did come here to get me to Port Royal, I just don't know what the reason is."

_"Plan B."_ Christopher muttered under his breath the words Beckett had said to him, and Nicolette caught it immediately, cocking her eyebrow. He realized what he had just said and he snapped out of, turning toward Nicolette, "Look, that was the reason, if you find it that unbelievable then, mind you. I'm your brother it's normal for me to be protective of you."

"And where were you for those fifteen years again?" Christopher's face just fell, that was low even for her to say. He remained silent as she just looked at him waiting for the answer when she already knew it. He couldn't say it to her, that coward. He placed his hands on his hips and bit his bottom lip. She smiled triumphantly, got something on him, finally. She added to him, "You can't say anything about it because you're guilty that you hadn't been there and you left me all alone with pa and mum! He was right about you by the way. There's no way to trust you."

"You don't know me enough to even say that! Hell, you even forgotten about me up 'til I came along last year and told you who I was!"

"And who is to blame for that?" She shouted back at him annoyed that she was even having this damn conversation. James looked around the deck and straighten up to walked toward them. Nicolette didn't bother to glare at him hatefully. She looked around the deck catching several eyes around her and when she looked around they proceeded in their work. She rolled her eyes and turned to Christopher with her hands on hips. "Even if there were a way, I wouldn't be able to now. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. That ain't going to happen, count on that, mate."

"You know," another voice made it into their hearing and they rolled their eyes simultaneously and looked over at Norrington annoyed. What the hell did he want? They shouldn't have let him speak with that foolish, yet sheepish smile plastered on his face. To their dismay, he continued, "you two arguing to each other about trust contradicts another trust with you." He looked directly at Nicolette and she only arched her brow at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked him confused and saw the way he was looking at her. It was as if he was telling her with his green eyes, 'I know something that you don't know.' She questioned him again, "And why in the bloody hell are you looking at me like that, former Commodore?"

"Why don't you use your peripherals, Miss. Brown? Surely, you'd be interested." Nicolette didn't know what to think about that. She looked around the deck for something interesting, but there was really nothing. Until, she looked across from her over James' shoulder. Her face suddenly fallen seeing Jack and _her_. Her. No, that wasn't happening. They were awfully close though, Elizabeth didn't seem serious in her eyes, but Jack, well she couldn't tell what he was doing. They were inches, no not inches, centimeters apart from touching lips. His eyes were closed he seemed that he was about to do what she thought he was going to do.

It only confirmed something.

Elizabeth peeked out of one eye as Jack went to stroke her hair, she was shocked that this was working. She was a deceitful liar like him after all. She started to him, to get him away from him so she would remain loyal to her fiancee and for him to Nic (if he did remember her at the moment) "And since you are a good man I know you would never put me in a position that would compromise my honor... or _yours_." Jack's eyes widened from their closed state, damn it. What in the bloody hell was he doing?

Not only was that a realization, too, but something eating away at his hand came on it again. Ugh, what was this his karma? He snapped out of the seductress' trance and closed his hand from not only her view, but his. He backed away a safe distance as Elizabeth lingered for a moment. She thought that he had changed partly, "I'm proud of you, Jack." She said to him, opening her eyes.

Nicolette parted her lips and looked at James, she actually didn't seem to care for it in front of him, but inside, she had no idea what was playing in there. She stated to him as Gibbs shouted, 'Land ho!', "See, at least Jack has restraint with temptation."

The crew rushed to the railing they were over on and saw the coming up island that was going in their view. James and Nicolette were only eying each other carefully as the crew made an effort to weigh anchor for the lot. Both didn't say a word to each other and Christopher was getting seemingly uncomfortable between them Nicolette snapped out of whatever was going through her head at the moment. She said to him to break their silence, "And why would you care? You hate us both, no doubt about that."

James smirked, "I wouldn't say that. I'm worried for my acquaintance that if Sparrow was tempted to go beyond loyalty that she has for him then how do you know that my acquaintance, Christopher, isn't what Sparrow says he is and he is what he says he is." Christopher looked over at him, why in the bloody hell was he helping him? Oh, yeah, there was only one reason for it, of course.

Nicolette's face fell pondering that for a moment, and when she was about to clearly defend Jack she saw him carry that damn jar he had gotten from that voodoo priestess. There really was nothing to defend after seeing that his safety relied on that. She heard Gibbs, then, behind her. "Nic, I need your help bringin' down the longboat for the shore party!"

She nodded indirectly and then took a last look at James and Christopher before sauntering over to Gibbs once again to help him. Christopher looked to James once she seemed to be far off. "Thank you," he said to him unsure if it was something that he should be thanking him for. James only looked at him, not saying a word at all. He rolled his eyes. "Was it even a thing to thank you upon?"

"However you look at it. Gave any thought?"

He didn't have to elaborate at all. He looked to Nicolette who was across the deck with Gibbs as Jack stood next to them carrying his jar of dirt nervously then back at James. "Well, you didn't give me any time to actually think. Once you left, Nic came and I didn't have time. So, if I give you my answer now, it would be with none at all."

"That's not good then," said James with a shrug, like he cared less.

"You didn't let me finish. I agree only to the terms and to these terms only. Me and you will hand the heart in together and get an equal share in whatever Beckett planned. Deal?" He extended his hand and the two suddenly heard their names being called.

James looked at it and after consideration, he had taken it within his grasp with a firm shake. "Agreed." He stated to him. Like hell he would.

* * *

After heavy persuasion with Jack from Nicolette, he allowed Christopher to be in the shore party with them. The long boat felt a bit crowded. When they leave maybe they'd make him stay there to be left to die. She conducted a point though, if Chris was bold enough to pull out his sword it would be three against one, excluding Norrington of course. Jack wasn't sure as she was, but there was no way he couldn't deny her offer. He stayed at the edge of the longboat that Pintel and Ragetti were rowing in between Nic and Chris and Elizabeth and James. They were arguing about something stupid, as usual.

"You're pulling too fast!" Pintel said to him, annoyed.

"Well, you're pulling too slow! We don't want the Kraken to catch us." Jack and Nic winced in unison hearing the creature's name.

Pintel argued it of course, "I'm saving my strength for when it comes. And I don't think it's 'krack-en' anyways. I always heard it said 'kray-ken.'" Elizabeth and Norrington looked at each other like they were insane.

"What with a long 'A'?" Pintel nodded his head quickly with a slight, 'Aye!' Ragetti rolled his eyes, "No, no, no, no, no, no, 'krock-en' 's how it is in the original Scandinavian, and 'krack-en's' closer to that."

Nicolette muttered under her breath rubbing her hand on her head while shaking it, "Oh my God. Shoot me, I can't endure their pathetic arguments."

They didn't hear it, but Chris laughed next to her earning a glare from her. Pintel carried on, "Well we ain't original Scandinavians, are we? Kray-ken."

"It's a mythical creature. I can calls it what I wants."

"If it's so mythical, then why are you pulling too—."

Nicolette interrupted him annoyed, "Enough! It's to-mah-to, to-moh-to, po-tah-to, po-toh-to, kray-ken, krock-en. No one really cares, so just shut up."

Pintel and Ragetti just looked at her for a moment and thought that she was serious. When they started rowing again and looked away from her. She smiled peacefully and sighed a relief too soon. They started out again, but this time on something remotely idiotic, her face fell. "I believe it to be pronounced to-mah-to, not to-moh-to." Her sigh of relief turned to be a sigh of annoyance.

Jack muttered to her, looking over his shoulder slightly, "Nice going, love."

"Shut it."

* * *

They finally made it to the shore, though it seemed longer than what it really was. And as Pintel and Ragetti were pulling the boat onto shore still arguing pronunciations everyone aboard jumped out. Elizabeth took out Jack's compass, while Norrington and Nicolette walked forward when he had saw an abandoned church on top of the hill. He raised his eyebrow, people lived on this island? Nicolette chuckled, seeing his confused face and he turned to her unsure, "I didn't expect anyone to be here."

She shrugged, "There's not."

"You know of this place?" He questioned. Nicolette looked at the abandoned church and sighed. The man must live under a rock to not know the stories.

She nodded, "I've heard it from stories. This is the Isla Cruces. I'm sure you heard of it?" She looked over at James who slowly shook his head no. She smirked, she knew that he hadn't, "Well, the church that you see there, came to the island. Not only did it bring salvation, but... disease, and death. They say the priest had to bury every body, one after the other." She paused, the end of the slight story wasn't a happy one and she looked down at the white sand when Christopher came up next to them.

He finished for her, "The man became mad by it, which led him to hang himself in the church."

He replied to them without realizing, "Better mad with the rest of the world than sane alone." Nicolette's face dropped and she looked over at James worried about that. Christopher didn't know if he should be worried, since he felt that his whole life. James sighed and looked down at his hands and then Nicolette placed a comforting hand on his shoulder without even thinking about it and smiled reassuringly. James arched a brow and looked over at her, but before he could ask, Jack's voice appeared and she snatched it away quickly.

"Oi! Love, no fraternizing with the help!" Jack barked and Nicolette faked a smile toward him and nodded before actually going to help Jack and Elizabeth with whatever they need, if they needed anything. James slowly turned to look behind his shoulder, contemplating what just happened.

"Did you see that?" He asked Christopher, still slightly unsure.

Christopher shrugged, "See what?" He retorted slightly oblivious to how she was looking at James. He rolled his eyes, asking that man was a waste of time. He was a bloody idiot like the rest of them. Christopher went ahead of James as he slowly followed behind. Jack was about to pass, but seeing them he handed them both a shovel that was being carried on his shoulders. He said to him, gesturing to lead the way. "After you, sir."

Elizabeth led the way, the heading pointed in front of her and she was following in a quick pace. Nicolette sat down on the sand and didn't expect a shovel being put down next to her and James sitting next to her. She looked over tiredly, but didn't bother to get up to get away from him. Christopher stood a safe distance behind Elizabeth and then she made a quick stop, it quickly pointed behind her and she turned on her heels to follow the heading again.

James sighed, "What was that back there?"

Nicolette was shocked to actually hear that from and scooted an inch away from him noticing how close they were to each other. She didn't want people like Jack getting the wrong idea, now did she? She stated to him, "I don't seem to know what you mean."

"Oh yes, you do. I've seen that look you were giving me before when looking at the church." She bit her bottom lip, what look? "I'm not a fool, Miss. Brown. Nor do I appreciate you making me out as one."

"You're smug, you know that?" She commented and scooted away from him further and watched Elizabeth carefully searching the chest. All she seemed to be doing was pacing.

James scoffed, "I don't look at myself exactly like_ that_. More observant."

She crossed her arms on her chest and without looking at him, she stated, "Well, you've gotten observantly more annoying than you were before, former Commodore."

"No need to be so formal, call me James." He mocked her.

"Sorry, if I hadn't forgotten my place." She mocked back.

"You have forgotten your place a long time ago when you and I had a conversation that you never told Sparrow about." She flickered her eyes to his green and parted her lips, surprised that she and him were closer than what they had been. She either moved back toward him or he moved toward her. She didn't know. She didn't really care. She bored into his eyes and pursed her lips silently, she didn't have a retort for it since she knew that it was true, but she didn't understand how he knew that. Or even remembered their slight meeting under the bridge since it was at least five months ago.

"How do you know about that?" She pondered that.

Instead of answering, James replied, "Ah, so you haven't. Does he know now? Or should I tell him for you?"

"Shut it. Keep your mouth shut about it." To respect her wishes, James stayed quiet next to her. She gave out a sigh of relief. And then looked at him when she noticed that he shouldn't be talking at all. He did the same thing as she! She stated to him, "And plus, I'm not the only one that didn't tell anyone my whereabouts that day." Now it was James' face that fell, when she pondered, "Where were your men, James? They weren't hiding in bushes around us or else I wouldn't be here."

When he remained quiet and speechless like she was before, Nicolette developed a smug smile, "Exactly. So, Norrington, I wasn't the only one who had forgotten their place." James couldn't defend himself because that had been true, he didn't at all tell his men about his and Nic's meeting, there was no... Well... he was just... he just didn't do it out of impulse.

Nicolette dropped the smile though and then asked him, "But why didn't you bring them? You could've convicted me and had me hanged."

"I just..." he trailed off, not sure how to answer it when he didn't know how to himself. He thought of _a_ reason, but he knew that that couldn't possibly be it. "I just thought if I convict you, it would be with Sparrow. Not you alone and vulnerable. I remember telling you that. You took the risk in writing to me to even meet."

"Well, I didn't exactly bring a weapon with me either. So that would be two risks I had taken." No, three, because she hadn't told Jack about still. Three risks she had taken to have that meeting.

"You didn't?" He asked her shocked, well he didn't notice that. Everywhere she went she always carried something on her. A sword, pistol, knife, or even a dagger. James looked forward to see Jack standing on a slight hill with his hands on his hips and looking away to the shore on the other side. "That's shocking even for you. And you're always full of surprises."

"No, I just trusted you for God knows why." She replied, looking forward as well only leaving James to look at her with the utmost confusing. He arched his brow, that was strange. Now that he had thought back then he didn't really bring any type of weapon. Not even his sword, which was his prize possession that actually _made_ him Commodore. He missed it.

Elizabeth saw the compass swing toward one way and she stopped to look over. It was pointing at _him_. That couldn't be right. Then it swung to the other direction, she had no choice, but to follow, but once she did, it swung back around toward Jack again. She looked over and Jack, feeling a pair of eyes at him actually looked back at her. Elizabeth blushed, embarrassed and looked down at the compass flustered. She went back to her original She groaned, "It doesn't work! And it certainly does not show you what you want most." She sat down on the ground and folded her arms in front of her.

Jack raised his eyebrow and walked toward her leaning over the compass slightly, seeing it pointing to her. Since he didn't want her and it was still going by what she wanted, he corrected her, "Yes, it does." He looked to her and admitted, "You're sitting on it."

"Beg pardon?"

He rolled his eyes and with his hands he had shooed her away. Nicolette had gotten up to go next to him and smiled, she bent over seeing the compass still take its effect and with a finger she marked an 'X' in the sand. "X marks the spot."

Jack smiled broadly, but told her to not get her hopes up at all, "We're not through yet, darling." He gestured for Christopher and James to get started on their digging. Even though they already got the hint with the makeshift X in the sand. They took their shovels and walked forward to it, getting ready to dig. But little did they know, that their competition of who gets the heart first would start. Only James Norrington knew it would, of course.

* * *

_**Oh dear, I don't think James is going to go with Chris' expectations of what do with the heart together, even if they even get the heart together. But, hey! X marks the spot and next time Will is coming back from the Dutchman! Yay or nay, depends on how you look at it. Oh, if you all are wondering, Nicolette is definitely going to be fighting, but not with who you would all expect. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! **_

_**Reviews?**_


	17. Rivalries

_**Hey! I'm updating a lot earlier and this chapter was supposed to be a lot longer, but I'm splitting it up. A lot of you didn't seem at all happy or were questioning the relationship between Nic and James... Hmm. I can't say that you guys are going to find out what happened at the meeting under the bridge yet, but in the next installment it would be explained in full detail. I promise. **_

_**In this chapter, I found in the original script that they all clashed swords and were trying to turn the other against the other, so I decided to add it in here, but a lot of secrets are revealed to both Jack and Nic and it really isn't pretty.**_

_**Busy week, this week. So, I'll try to write when I can and hopefully the next update will be done by Sunday, the latest. AP test is coming up, so I have to prepare for that (even though, let's face facts, I'm going to fail, lol) .So, anyway, hopefully you will enjoy this chapter! **_

_**Happy Reading! :)**_

* * *

_Chapter Seventeen: Rivalries_

Jack was sitting down with his legs crossed like they were in a pretzel and his hands resting on the two of his knees and Nicolette laid down on her back looking up at the pale blue sky. The sun was beading down on the five people, including James and Christopher, who were steadily digging to where the chest was supposedly at. Elizabeth was standing behind James nervously waiting. James kept his eyes narrowed at Christopher and when he had a shovelful of sand, James threw his behind him and quickly gotten another shovelful as he was going to get another. Christopher did the same. It was very funny to sit there and watch it actually.

But everyone's heads snapped up once Christopher had hit something hard. He and James looked at each other before throwing their shovels aside. Nicolette and Jack straightened up and with Elizabeth they huddled around the hole when James and Chris went to take it out. The chest was abnormally large for a heart to be in it. But there wasn't a lock that needed a key. Jack went into the middle of them all as they placed it on the sand. Nic only looked at it puzzled as he went to break the lock with a shovel. With a loud snap it had been broken and he knelt down next to Nicky to open it himself.

"Letters." She stated as it was in full view in front of her and they were the first thing that she actually saw, she took a handful of them and opened a particular one that was on the top. _Dear Calypso,_ it started, but she didn't read no more. She didn't have to. Calypso. She was a Goddess, actually not even a Goddess, more like a sea nymph that drove innocent sailors to islands and seduced them. Seemed like, she finally got through to someone's head. But... that man turned into a tyrant. Nicolette knew far too soon, that this said man, was Davy Jones. "Oh my Lord."

"What is it, love?" She looked up at Jack and placed the letters she had found in the chest on the sand. Nicolette shook her head excusing it as nothing. Jack only arched his brow, but didn't question it at all. She thought it best to keep it to herself rather than tell him or anyone else.

Jack dug into the chest and retrieved another chest that was cold, black. In the middle there was a disproportionate lock that looked too big for its own good. This must be it. He backed up a bit and a few of them followed suit. Curiously, James, him, Nicolette and Elizabeth put their ears onto the iron chest. Waiting. Christopher stood clear, feeling that it was a bit too crowded. _Thump._ A thump, they all heard it and their heads slowly rose from the chest, a smile twitched on the corners of her mouth.

"I can't believe it..." she trailed off in shock, but also joy.

Elizabeth stole the next couple of words from her mouth, "It's real."

James shook his head, like Nicolette and Elizabeth he, himself, found himself surprised. He looked to Jack with a slight smile, "You actually were telling the truth."

Jack looked back at him and admitted, "I do that quite a lot and yet people are always surprised."

"With good reason!" All heads turned to see William Turner drenched head to toe in water and panting heavily. Nicolette's eyes widened and she looked at Jack astonished. Will had such a strange habit with seeming to be dead then coming back to life. Jack didn't understand it. Did the whelp ever die? Even put into a near death situation the whelp didn't seem, in any type of condition, of _dying._ Elizabeth's heart jumped, seeing Will once again safe and sound. She smile lightly.

"Will?" Nicolette tried once again to see if that was him by blinking her eyes repeatedly and pinching herself to see if she was dreaming. But there he was. Her friend actually came back to them. At the most random and strangest time...

"Will—you're all right! Thank God. I came to find you!" Elizabeth jolted up and ran to him excitedly. James didn't seem at all excited, judging by his groan.

Christopher couldn't believe that he was there in front of them. He truly thought that he was a goner for being brought onto the _Flying Dutchman_ in the first place. It was a sure death sentence if you joined the crew, and he wasn't fish looking at all. "How?"

James answered for him, "One thing that you learn about Turner is that he survives all near death situations, which is undoubtedly annoying and unfortunate." He watched painfully to see Elizabeth passionately kiss Will who caught her lips and kissed back the same way. He groaned again.

Nicolette joked, "Awe, Norrington is still a tad bit jealous of deal Will." James looked over at her and narrowed his eyes into an annoyed glare, he didn't need her input. She smirked smugly and then looked over to see Jack not really that happy to see the two reunite together. Her smirk soon dropped and she looked down at the pale sand as Jack stood up along with James. He scanned the seas, curious on how the lad had gotten here without any boat of any sort... that might only mean one thing. That was what he was worried about, Jones might be around the corner and then they would all fight him. But he was on land! He was safe from him! Sort of... he would have to leave land sometime though...

Nicolette slowly followed suit, unsure how she should look at that. _Don't look too deep into it. Probably didn't expect him at all._ Her mind assured her. Yeah, that was probably it. She shouldn't worry about it at all.

Jack asked him flustered as they parted, he didn't know what to make out of his reappearance, "How did you get here?" He still scanned the seas for the _Dutchman_, clearly worried.

"Sea turtles, mate." Nicolette chuckled immediately hearing the slight tone of mockery in his voice. Jack looked over at her and glared, then back at Will as he, unfortunate as it was, continued, "A pair of them, strapped to my feet." Christopher looked at him questionably, sea turtles? How in the bloody hell did he accomplish that? Nicolette wasn't at all puzzled, she knew Will's horrible impressions of Jack and this one was definitely one of them.

Jack faked a nervous, crooked smile to him and said showing his discomfort very clearly, "Not so easy, is it?"

"But I do owe you thanks, Jack." Will stated to him with his arm around Elizabeth's waist as she kept her arms around his neck.

Nicolette arched her eyebrow and looked between them, "He does?"

Jack seemed confused, too, "I do?"

"After tricking me onto that ship to square your debt with Jones..." he started off with Elizabeth still clinging next to him while walking slowly toward them and the chest. Did she hear that correctly? He was tricked! Why hadn't anyone mention this to her? Why hadn't Nic said anything about this to her? Weren't they friends like she thought they were?

Her eyes immediately flickered to Jack who was nervously looking away. "What?"

He retorted back to her turning his head, "What?"

"Oh, karma." Nicolette stated to herself with a smug smirk tugging at a corner. Jack tried not to glare at her, there was really no point to do that.

Will continued as if they didn't say anything at all, "I was reunited with my father."

"Oh," Jack looked between him and Nicolette who was smirking at him no longer smugly, but knowingly. He said to him with the same nervous smile, "You're welcome then."

Furious, Elizabeth went out of Will's hold on her and stormed off toward Jack who was looking like a foolish man smiling still like that. "Everything you said to me... every word was a lie!" Nicolette chuckled to herself, oh, this was good. For some reason, she lately took pleasure in watching people torture Jack with their infuriating comments and annoying rants. She was waiting for a particular part when he might get slapped for some entertainment. She hated being his last slap, it was kind of sickening for her.

Jack admitted to her without delay, seeing as though she was about to cut his throat with that sword on her waist, "Yeah, pretty much." Elizabeth looked at him warningly as he added, "Time and tide, love." Will rushed toward the iron chest that was in front of them. Jack caught a glimpse and his eyes widened seeing the key in Will's hand and a knife in the other. He inquired, "Oi, what are you doing?"

Will stated as he was about to put the key in the lock, "I'm going to kill Jones."

Nicolette's face dropped and she looked over at Jack who was now behind and drawing out his sword that was in the scabbard. It was now pointed at the crook of his neck. She didn't at all think it to be right, but she didn't at all defend Will. They needed that chest for Jack's life. She wasn't going to lose him since he was almost the only person she could rely on. "Will." She said his name to him as a warning to not reckon with them. Will looked up at her confused and then he had heard Jack's voice behind him.

"I can't let you do that, William. If Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?" Will only glanced at him for a moment, but then looked back at Nicolette in disbelief that she was actually not defending him at all. She was always quick to do that, but now, she looked like she wasn't at all pleased with Will stabbing the heart. If only she knew the story, then her mind would change, well he hoped. He had to admit that the days that he had spent with her weren't like old times at all and she had clearly changed from how she was in Port Royal. As she looked at him cautiously, he was actually beginning to question that even more. He hoped it to be wrong.

Nic only told him slowly, "Will, just give us the key, please. We need it more than you do." We? The promise between her and Jack made it stay to we, instead of he. But Will of course didn't even know about that they were in the fight with Davy Jones together, no matter the circumstance. He was waiting for her to change that, thinking that she wasn't serious.

Will no longer waited, thinking the cause for that was lost since her face was rather determined. Will didn't know if he should argue with her, but nevertheless stood up slowly as Elizabeth made it close enough. Jack lent out his hand, thinking that he had won, "Aye, so if you please, the key." He even lowered his cutlass so he could retrieve, but in a flash Will had taken Elizabeth's own right out of the scabbard and pointed it straight at Jack's neck once his sword was partly lowered.

Nicolette and Elizabeth glowered at him in disbelief as they saw this strange fury in his eyes, that seemed, very determined in whatever he was going to do.

Will stated to him, "I keep the promises I make, Jack. Sorry, Nic. But I intend to free my father." He did a quick look at Nicolette to see her hand go to her black handle that dangled on her waist and was safely securing the blade that she had once worked hard on. On her other side was a dagger that she had grown accustomed with, by throwing it at things, or even people. She wouldn't mind using it right now. His eyes went back to Jack and he said with sarcasm, "I hope you are here to see it."

Another sword was brought out and it was pointed straight at Will, "I can't let you do that either." Christopher and Nic looked over to see that it was James. Christopher smiled, well at least one of the two of them were confident enough to even think of pulling out a sword... he was quite clumsy with it. He glimmered at the two of them, "So sorry."

Jack smiled smugly and walked toward James to be on his side. Two against one! Ha! Take that Will. "I knew you'd warm up to me eventually." His hopes were crushed definitely, seeing that James suddenly pointed his sword at him. Jack backed up and then brought his own up to the crook of Will's neck since that side of him was the only unoccupied side there was left. "Lord Beckett desires the content of that chest. I deliver it. I get my life back." Christopher raised his eyebrow, wait, there should be a _we_ in there. His smile dropped. Why was there no _we_? Oh, well this was not at all what he intended on...

It was probably only a mistake, right? Only a mistake? He tried correcting him, "Uh, you mean _we_ are to deliver it and _we_ get our life back."

Nicolette looked at him in disbelief and placed her hands on her dagger and sword, now she knew who she was going to aim it at. "What?"

James scoffed and looked over at Christopher like he was a fool, "You didn't actually believe me that I was going to be accredited next to the likes of you, Grayson. Not a chance."

Christopher gritted his teeth, never had that name been such a bother to him until now. He took out his sword and then pointed it at James, making the triangle into a now square. "It's Brown, goddamn it! And you and I made a deal with you earlier that we are going to be in this together!"

"Oh, shut up, will you? It's not like you didn't do the same to other people and became part of the reason for a ruined life." He sneered. Christopher looked down as James glared at him, knowing that he was right. He gave the report to Beckett saying that Norrington's fort and military strategies weren't at all what they looked and seemed like. They were insufficient and therefore inexcusable, as he said, but he only did it as he was ordered to... somewhat ordered to.

Now that Christopher took out his sword, he didn't know why he had just done it? He wasn't good with a sword at all and against a Commodore, a pirate, and if Will was considered a pirate or blacksmith, it wouldn't matter, he would surely lose a parry between them all.

Jack took a look at the two of them, "Oi, isn't this wonderful? The former Commodore and the East India Trading Company Captain looking into the dark side of ambition." How did he know that he was a part of the EITC? Oh, that was right, he was _Captain Jack Sparrow_. Christopher pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at Jack, he would love to kill him. Boy, would he? If his sister never had became in love with him like she said, then it would most likely result in him not being here at all. He wouldn't be here! He wouldn't at all have any relation to Jack whatsoever. Maybe now, he wouldn't mind parrying with them all.

Nicolette looked at Elizabeth cautiously unsure of what the men might do. This never really happened before when she was around, so she didn't know what do do. But next thing she knew, she heard James say to Jack, "I prefer to think of it as the promise of redemption." It was like their cue to leap into action, all of them started to swing blades at each other. Nicolette looked at them like they were daft beyond their minds. Elizabeth stood next to her and was thinking the same.

They looked at each other then back at them. She commented at the clumsy man with the sword, "That's my brother? How are we even related if he can't handle the heat?"

"I don't know, but did you know that...?" Elizabeth trailed off when Nic shook her head no, she didn't know what to say about her brother's deal with James, but she was definitely furious. She kept her hand on the black hilt of her sword, seeking opportunity to get into again, but Elizabeth's voice stopped her, "Well, I thought James would've told you by the looks you were giving him earlier."

She looked over at Elizabeth in disbelief, "Are you serious?" She couldn't help but leave her mouth gaping partly open, that was the most ridiculous thing that she had ever heard. "Don't even play that card with me, Lizzie, don't you dare. Because I could play that with you." Elizabeth seemed confused for a moment, but seemed to catch on. Jack. She saw earlier, hadn't she? Nicolette furrowed her eyebrows at her when she saw her face drop. It wasn't how it looked like at all!

The four swords clashed together and the four men just looked at each other through their gleaming swords. Jack peered over at Will, "Will, we can't let the two of them get their hands on the chest. Trust me on this." Will furrowed his brows at Jack. He wasn't serious about the trust thing, was he? Jack rolled his eyes and corrected that off of his look toward him, "You can mistrust me less than you can mistrust the both of them."

Will looked across from him to see Norrington for the first _real_ time he was reunited with the group. He admitted to him, "You look awful."

James knew he looked awful, he was told that he had looked awful plenty of times, and now of all moments he didn't want to hear it. "Granted. But you're still naïve while Grayson is a bit dim on how to handle a weapon when his bloody father is a blacksmith. Pathetic. Or is it _was_ a blacksmith now, Turner?"

Her face dropped and Nicolette felt her heart being torn out of her chest. She thought of one thing and as it stroked her mind, she was utterly confused by why she would feel for the man that was her father? "What does he mean by _was_?" Nicolette asked looking between Elizabeth and Will and Norrington as they were at a hold. Jack peered behind his shoulder to see Nicky casting Will a look that was not only puzzled, but furious. Will looked flustered, he didn't know at all what to say to her or to anyone around him. She repeated, minding the silence between them all, "Will, what in the bloody hell does he mean by _was_?"

Christopher looked at Nicolette with his eyes apologetic, he didn't seem like he cared as much as she did. His father treated him like he was a pebble that was mindlessly kicked around the roads. James smirked slightly, "Oh, he never told you. Your father had been sick several months now shortly after you had left Port Royal, some friend you have there. I wouldn't be surprised that he had been dead for a month." His tone was rather bitter and Nicolette clenched her fist and went to swing at James, but she felt her other arm being pulled from Elizabeth to hold her back. "That's strange, _Nicky_," her face dropped even further and her eyes narrowed at him, Jack was about to step away from this, since he wasn't sure that Elizabeth had the strength to hold her. James knew he had hit several nerves from her, which was actually what he wanted to do, "you weren't giving me those looks under the bridge in Trinidad nor earlier."

Jack's face dropped along with hers and her breathing suddenly gotten heavy as he turned to him and stated, "And no, Jack, she had never told you about that meeting and she didn't even bother to bring her weapons along with her because of how she _trusts_ me." James took a glimpse at her and smirked, "And by the looks of it she still does."

How did Jack knew this already? He pointed it out to her the other day, but he felt something that was weird for him to even feel. It wasn't jealousy, no. He would never be jealous of that rum-pot deckhand, it was more of rage.

Nicolette's blood began to boil and her reflexes to go to her weapon and break out of the hold she was under by Elizabeth came through her. "Let me go. I'll kill that filthy git!" She shouted at Elizabeth with her hand on her weapon, but nevertheless Elizabeth's grip on her arm with both hands was tight and wasn't going to be easy to get out of.

"Nic! Calm down!" She didn't realize that she was trying to get out of her grip that roughly and she was struggling as well. She did nothing else but comply with Elizabeth, she was going to deal with James later when she wasn't there so she didn't have to endure the sight of the former Commodore's murder.

Christopher looked at them all in disbelief, to bring back their focus to the current situation, he had a feeling that what was going to happen between Nicolette and James would be something personal rather than what they currently are to each other, he said to them, "You three are acting like children!"

"Coming from the man who hasn't been in his sister's life for fifteen years." Jack muttered to him and Christopher sneered. "What was your name again? Griffon?Garrison? Oh, wait, no, _Grayson_. Has a nice ring to it, I understand why you chosen it for yourself."

"Damn pirate." Christopher muttered under his breath, before shouting at him annoyed, "It's Brown!" Jack smirked, amused by it. But it soon dropped when he saw Christopher go to Will, "Don't you dare, listen to this man. He has been pushing up against Elizabeth since you had been gone. He wants her, Will. All for himself and he wants _you_ out of the picture!"

Jack gritted his teeth, that man would stoop so low in saying that to get the chest. That wasn't true at all! He leaped into action like everyone else but he was really only aiming at the annoying man that he had to deal with for the last two weeks. They were retreating from the group and somehow when they were far enough, Christopher broke into a sprint while Jack chased him.

James and Will looked at each other and stopped their little duel. James looked at Christopher and Jack who were now parrying with each other and then at Will. To be honest, he wanted to join in. He pushed Will aside before snatching the keys right from out of his hand and sprinted off toward them leaving Will onto the pale white sand alone. Nicolette and Elizabeth rush over to him to help him up, but he didn't say thank you to them.

Instead of that, he looked toward Elizabeth and ordered to her, "Guard the chest from her." He gave a slight nod to Nicolette and she only gaped at him in shock.

He bolted up and sprinted toward the fight between the other three. Elizabeth looked at Nicolette and then to where Will had gone and shouted getting up, "No!" Nicky didn't seem to object though, seeing Elizabeth running toward them flailing her arms about while ranting. "This is barbaric! This is not how grown men settle—oh fine!" They didn't seem to be paying attention to her at all. And she walked mockingly, "Let's just haul out swords and just bang away at each other that would just solve everything!" She stopped and turned to toward them, exclaiming, "Well, I've had it! I've had it with wobbly-legged... rum-soaked... pirates!"

"She finally cracked." Nicolette muttered under her breath as she noticed the rant of Elizabeth's seemed to have stopped and now she was throwing rocks at them. She looked down at the chest that contained the heart. All alone with it. What could she do with this, she wondered. She had a few ideas. But she didn't at all go into her temptation, no matter how much it would help Jack.

She walked toward Elizabeth to see her pretend to faint like she had done in Port Royal. She shook her head before taking out her dagger that she wanted to throw before, "That doesn't work anymore."

Elizabeth cracked her eye open to see Nicolette running after the fighting men before they had actually ran themselves into where the grass had started. Christopher was at the end of the pack and Nicolette when she was close enough held her dagger and aimed at the tree that was going to be right by his head. She had grown better at this, but she wasn't sure if the blade was actually going to stab him in the back of his head or the actual tree, but there wasn't really anything wrong in trying.

Without any hesitation and some careful aim, she had thrown the dagger watching it flip and flip toward the bark of a palm tree that seemed to be in a sulk over many rocks. As Christopher was beginning to pass the certain tree he heard a ringing past his ear and he suddenly stopped in his path, looking over to see the dagger shaking in the bark of the wood. It was inches away from his face and it had fallen into a deep frown that was full of wonder of who had thrown it at him and missed. He was worried to see who he was to accuse. Nicolette looked at the dagger in deep shock seeing that it actually worked and she walked forward toward her brother and it with her lips pursed in thin line.

"I seemed to have missed!" She lied to him and Christopher groaned hearing her in the background, really? He needed to get the key and the chest, not at all deal with her. He turned on his heel and faced Nicolette with his face hardened like of a statue. She was holding the handle of her dagger and roughly took it out of the bark with all her strength and placed it back in its scabbard on her other hip while she unsheathed her cutlass.

Christopher looked at her tiredly and clenched his teeth, "What in the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Why are you doing this? You told me that you weren't working for him anymore and yet you're trying to get to the chest."

"You don't know anything, Nic. If you were in my position then you would understand. Just trust—."

"Trust you? Why in the bloody hell would I do that for the likes of you?" She placed her hands on her hips in disbelief and looked at him in defiance.

"If you stop interrupting me for five seconds, then maybe I'll give you reason enough!" Christopher shouted at her annoyed and Nicolette continued to glare at him, but gestured for him to go on. This should be good. "If I get the heart, my name will be cleared. I will have my name back and my title and a promotion to go along with it. I get my ship back. But there's something else that Beckett added for me, not only will my name be cleared, but your name would be cleared and you can be safe back in Port Royal."

"Wait, my name?" She didn't get passed that. If, she would be getting cleared that would mean that she wouldn't be a pirate anymore. She was safe already. "Other than that, your reasons are foolish. All I heard was I's and only one you. That doesn't show at all that you're a selfish like any other damn pirate that's out there!" Christopher clenched his jaw as he saw her move toward him.

"You lie! You deceit! And you scheme! You do everything out of your own selfish intent without thinking of other people! You're just as much as a pirate as me." She was in his face and glaring into his eyes hatefully. Christopher's breathing was uneven and his hand was slowly retreating to the hilt of his sword.

Nicolette glanced down and noticed it, she tried to refrain from smirking, but only found it getting harder by the minute. Christopher tried to swallow up the pain in his chest that was developing, "You don't know anything about me or about them." He said to her coldly and with a step forward she took a step back cautiously while taking each blow from him. "You're a poser. You're not a pirate at all. You're far too honest and generous, though you put up a curtain that makes you seem fierce and treacherous. You think Sparrow loves you? I could put money on it that he thinks that you're his common whore that's harboring a free ride."

She said through her teeth as her grip on the black handle of her cutlass tightened, "Shut up."

He ignored her, "_Sham_. And that's all you are ever going to be. Can't you see what's happening between you two? You're growing apart day by day, inch by inch. He already has his eye set on someone from what we have seen aboard the _Pearl_, like you have an eye on someone else, too." Her face dropped and she looked at him shocked that he would bring that up. "Secret meeting, eh? That's something. You should have seen the look on Jack's face when he had heard it. He was seemingly crushed by the look of it."

"Shut up."

"That's all you could say to me, shut—." Before he could finish, Nicolette couldn't control her temper and pointed the tip of her cutlass at the crook of his neck, stopping him in the end. There was no more talk now, as Christopher looked pointedly at the cutlass and her foreign eye color change. It was so... filled with anger and uncertainty of if this was wise. But what also scared him was that there was no hesitation. "You're going to kill me?" He asked her.

She shook her head no, "Scum like you don't even deserve that." Christopher carefully retreated backward, being careful not to trip on anything that was on his path. He looked at her with his lips pursed in a small frown, his hand went to the hilt of his sword. She stated to him as her sword pressed on his trembling skin threateningly, "I rather you die of plague, something painful, than me just killing you."

"You don't think a brother and sister killing each other over one snitch of betrayal wouldn't be painful enough?"

She shrugged and admitted to him, "Well this used to be normal in the middle ages, so it wouldn't be _that_ painful."

"Ah, so you're turning into a poser barbarian."

"Well, in some context of aristocrats pirates are considered barbarians in their eyes." Nicolette didn't mean for a smug tone to come out, but it did anyway.

Christopher taunted as he softly began to take out his own cutlass without her knowledge, he continued a steady pace backward as she continued as steady pace forwards. "Too bad because you are neither."

She ended up smirking, Christopher arched his eyebrow at her. It was complete silent. Nicolette replied, feeling her goal to be accomplished when she no longer heard the clatter of cutlass by them or random grunts of frustration. "Even if I'm not either, I won't be coming with you."

"And why's that?" Christopher asked her annoyed, that he was wasting time with her when he should be getting the key for the chest.

Nicolette questioned him back instead of answering him, "Tell me, where were Jack, James, and Will actually headed before my little intrusion?" He didn't know, he was following them. It took him a moment maybe two to realize that... oh God. When his face dropped and his eyes grew into a fury that Nicolette was waiting to see, her smirk only grew into a smile. She stated to him flatly, "Payback is a bitch."

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_**Sorry, no fighting yet :( Next chapter yeah, they would definitely be fighting. I promise you. So I have a question, did anyone catch on to what Nicolette was doing with Christopher? I might have not seem like it until the last couple of paragraphs, but if you have noticed, then let me know what it is and I'll tell you if you're right or not, lol. Like I said, I'll try to update as soon as I can, but I have a busy week unfortunately. Latest would be Sunday. So I hope you all enjoyed! **_

_**And yay! Less than a month until Stranger Tides and you know what? I cannot wait for it! Ah!**_

_**Review?**_


	18. Chases

_**Hey! I'm so sorry for the long wait, the practice test on Saturday took a lot out of me. I don't know when I'm going to actually update next mostly because my real AP test is coming up next week and I have to study a lot for it and I'm going to start this week! But I'll try my best with writing time to time, so don't fear. Shorter chapter than usual, I was going to be done with the fight for the chest in this one, but it ended at a perfect part so I wanted to leave it. Hmm, I think that is all I have to say... I think. Lol, hope you enjoy! :)**_

_**Review Replies:**_

_**SelenaRox: Awe, thanks! Haha, you'll find out in this don't worry :) Hope you enjoy!**_

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_Chapter Eighteen: Chases_

Christopher just stood there in disbelief and his eyes narrowed at her. This was a distraction. He'd kill her. Like she threatened to kill him, he would threaten to kill her. This was their only chance of getting their old lives back and yet here she was defiantly in front of him with her cutlass pointed at the crook of his neck under the complete silence. The only thing he had heard around the two of them was the howl of the breeze passing by. He gulped and quietly took out his cutlass once again, if he would have to dual her to get away from her, then so be it. He inquired to her while doing so, "Was this a rouse?"

Her smirk only grew as she noticed the shine of the blade of his coming out of his scabbard, she tried not to act like she noticed it though. Element of surprise, of course. She retorted, "What do you think, brother?"

He answered, "I'm assuming then that's a yes." Her smirk turned into a smug smile as he started to retreat backward again, this time, she didn't move at all. Nicolette lowered her cutlass partly and went into a subtle stance, ready for Chris' attack, it was not noticeable in his eyes. "Is all what you had said to me a lie, or was it mostly true?"

"What do you think?" She pondered, she thought it to be obvious that it was the second choice. If he had no idea what to think about it, then obviously she had gotten what he had really thought about her out in the open. Interesting. She would have to keep all of this in her mind and use it against him some point, maybe now. Christopher's eyes continued their steady glare on her, his lips pursed in a fine line. He knew that most of it was true, and by the silence she had taken along with him after it had been answered, he found it only to be confirmed.

Christopher asked her, "Has anyone ever told you that you are the most unpredictable person in this whole entire world?" It wasn't meant to be answered, but Nicolette actually looked up, biting her lip, pondering the answer to that. Actually, this wasn't the only time she had been told that. She could name at least five people off the top of her head. She flickered her eyes back to Christopher and nodded to him eagerly with a mischievous smirk developing back. Christopher rolled his eyes, "You're ridiculous."

"Am I?" She asked him curiously. Christopher gave her no response. She retorted, "Or am I what you never thought I'd be? Did you think that you could pull this over my head or did you think you can _try?_ What were you trying to do? Get me to trust you? Turn me against Jack and likewise with Jack against me to get to me easier?"

"What would bring you to do that conclusion?"

"What _wouldn't _bring me to that conclusion?"

Christopher's jaw clenched and he suddenly heard rustling behind the bushes, he didn't realize how far in the woody area of the Isla Cruces they were actually in. The opening seemed to fade away in nothing but a speck in his view. Were their animals on this island? Wild boar roaming around and causing havoc? He didn't think that this island was habituated by any sort, but what would make that sort of noise? Christopher said her name cautiously, "Nicolette, please, I could save us."

She said to him taking her sword out once again, "Save us? From what? Christopher if you give that chest to Beckett it only would cause in more deaths than yours and mine. What you are doing is selfish. I'd rather die than to have millions of others die from something that I caused. If you're going to take me, then, I'm not going without a fight. Hate to inform you, but that's how it is."

Christopher was surprised to see that it was his sister who had lunged with her cutlass first. He had no choice, but to block quickly with his already drawn weapon. Nicolette didn't feel anger, she didn't feel anything at the moment, but with each powerful blow she had sent to her brother, she could've fooled him otherwise. Christopher did his best blocking, he didn't want to hurt her, but by the amount of force and the fierceness in her eyes he had no doubt that that was what she was trying to do.

He was sent back onto the dirt path him and her seemed to be stuck on for quite some time. Nicolette held the hilt of her cutlass tightly by her hand, she saw an opening on Christopher's rib cage. This reminded her of fighting with Will in Port Royal, he always seemed to neglect to block deadly openings because he knew that she wouldn't risk it. She groaned, seeing that the man was actually blocking well, but how did he do with attacking? She caught a glimpse of a tree with coconuts dangling from its branches. Nicolette tried not to let her thought show on her face.

When they were parrying, Christopher had found an opening of his own to have his own way for attack. Finally. But his hope quickly passed, when he noticed her footing going in an odd direction, to the left. Why was she going like that? But before he could ask her or give himself a clue, he suddenly felt a searing pain on his left arm, immediately clutching it. He stood in the middle of the circle she was doing and his eyes slowly followed, unsure of what to do.

She tsked at him, "Ah, dear brother, pay attention." His eyes slowly followed the gleaming blade as blood trickled down on his small cut on his arm. A fine red line started to show on his white sleeve around the small rip.

She swung the cutlass toward his other arm, but Christopher blocked it immediately with his hand still clutching it, causing her to hum with slight interest seeing his hand shaking around his handle as he gripped. He commented as he turned on his heel to face her, "I have to say, you are very competent with a blade."

Nicolette replied truthfully, "You get bored when you are around nothing but pointy objects that are staring at you in the face." She swung and Christopher ducked quickly, just barely missing his head. Nicolette hissed mockingly when she had seen the slight cut on his arm. She added to him as she was looking down to see him looking up, "But, of course, you wouldn't know that. If you had, you wouldn't be as clumsy as you are now with a cutlass. How sad for you." Christopher rolled his eyes and started to formulate something that was in his head. Before releasing a smirk of finally catching his sister off guard, he acted quickly.

She wasn't paying close attention like she should've been. She would admit. But what he had done was uncalled for. Nicolette suddenly felt her leg escape and she was pulled on the ground with a hard _thump! _She groaned as her cheek roughly hit the patch of dirt and she rolled onto her back, holding her stomach feeling that develop some pain as well. When Nic had finally opened her eyes and stopped her groaning she suddenly heard the wisp of the blade of Chris' cutlass make it to the crook of her neck. Her newly opened eyes opened wider seeing a smug smile curve on his lips.

She cursed under her breath, "Damn it." She had been beaten! By the man who she had seen to be clumsy, was she becoming clumsy now? Or was she just being distracted like she had done to... oh. Payback really was a bitch and that bitch bit harder than a poisonous snake would. She glared up at him and before another word could escape out of both of their mouths, snickers and chuckles were heard jogging past them.

Nicolette stopped her glare toward him and both her eyes and Chris' flickered over to the pirate with the wooden eye and the balding pirate, Ragetti and Pintel, who were holding exactly what they wanted.

The two stopped in their places and bored their eyes in the scene of potential murder. Nicolette looked at them cautiously then at Christopher who had crept his cutlass away from her neck. She smirked as she used her elbows to drag herself away from him so she could get enough room to straighten up. Christopher arched his eyebrow at the two men, "What are you doing?"

She smirked as she put a hand on her pistol's handle. Pintel and Ragetti only looked at each other and now Christopher who was standing there clueless while Nic was creeping up behind him. She gave a subtle nod to them to run off when she raised her the handle to face the back of his head daringly. The two belligerent pirates tried not to nod back at her to gesture they understood, but with the chest in between the two of them, they ran off to get away from them. Christopher turned on his heel to see where they were running off to, not paying any attention to where his sister had gone or if she was still on the ground groaning.

He went to run off after the pirates, but once he had taken one step forward, he stopped abruptly as a hard thing hit the back of his head. His eyes went up into his sockets and he felt his knees buckle forward immediately already falling unconsciously to the ground. Nicolette narrowed her eyes as she watched her brother face down, she chuckled lightly. She repeated to him with the slight brush of dirt on her cheek rising up from her smirk, "Pay more attention, dear brother." Nicolette put her pistol back in the holster where it belonged and then went to catch up to Ragetti and Pintel, but then a voice cursed her hearing.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she cursed under her breath and turned to see Elizabeth running toward her calling her name. Her face seemed red and her hair seemed a bit ratty like she had been running for a while, and also her panting gave Nic the hint. She looked her up and down as Elizabeth stopped in front of her, continuing her pant. Nicolette commented, "Goodness gracious, what in the bloody hell happened to you?"

Elizabeth looked up and down at her friend and retorted, "I could say the same thing to you." She also gestured to the limp body of Christopher who was faced down in the ground.

Nicolette chuckled at the sight once more, "Don't worry, I didn't kill him. He will wake up in a few minutes, I bet... I hope." Now that she had thought about, she wasn't sure when he would actually wake up since he did take a nasty fall. Oh well. He deserved it for taking advantage of her when she was distracted. She shrugged it off quickly, not bothering to ponder upon it. But when she noticed the worried look plastered on Swann's face, she made sure to inform her, "He started it though. Nasty blighter, took me to the ground with a kick and then I gladly gave him karma for it."

She made sure that there was no indication of the lie of which she really started the fight between the two of them by lunging at _him_ with her already drawn cutlass; she wanted to tarnish his reputation even more than it already was.

Elizabeth took that in mind and the worried look seemed to be swept away. She shook her head reminding herself to ask her, they had gone this way, so Nicolette must've seen them. "Did you see those two with the chest pass by?" Oh, her too now. What? Was everyone in the mood of getting the bloody chest? Nicolette cautiously looked behind her and was worried that she wouldn't catch up to them. Elizabeth looked at her curiously.

Nic swallowed her dignity and strolled over to Elizabeth with her lips pursed innocently. Elizabeth arched her eyebrow and when she was about to inquire, Nicolette suddenly pushed Elizabeth rather childishly and ran off to catch the chest for herself. She lost her balance and stared in disbelief at the fading image of her silhouette. She muttered under her breath, "She's absurd." With that said, Elizabeth immediately followed her to wherever she was headed in hope of getting the chest back.

* * *

Jack's sword flies out of his hand and off the roof as both Norrington's and Turner's blades were pointed at him all at once. Jack held his two hands up in surrender as he looked at both of them pointedly with a nervous frown flashing his gold capped teeth made its way. Norrington turned to Will and stated, "Excuse me while I kill the man who ruined my life."

Will seemed to relax his grip and was just fine with watching the death of Jack take place in front of him. He partly ruined his life, as well, so he didn't mind at all. "Be my guest."

Jack's eyebrows furrowed and his held out hands turned into two held out fingers to point something out. "Now, let's examine that claim, former Commodore, shall we?" James looked at him puzzled before he continued to point out to him, "Who was the man who, at the moment you had a notorious pirate behind bars and a beautiful dolly belle bound for bridal, saw fit to free said pirate and take your dearly beloved all for himself. Eh?" James' face seemed to fall, he was actually right about that. Jack's eyes flickered to Will smugly and it only made James' blood partly boil back into rage against Will.

Jack's eyes went back to James and continued to make James turn against him, "I was nothing but an innocent bystander to the aforementioned events... so whose fault is it _really_ that you ended up a rum pot deck hand who takes orders from pirates?"

James' eyes narrowed as his anger against Will and Jack continued to boil within him. "Enough!" He shouted; he couldn't take any more of this! He swung his cutlass toward Jack who dodged it by tumbling off the roof with the key falling out of his hand. James looked down as Jack landed on his feet with a slight stumble on top of his feet. "Unfortunately, Mr. Turner," he started not facing Will still. Will backed away not sure of what James was capable of doing. James snarled before turning around to attack Will, "he's right!"

Jack looked up at the two who were fighting on the roof and before going off to get the key off the ground, he shouted up to James, "Still rooting for you, mate!" He heard clashes of swords in the background and walked forward seeing the key lying on the ground. Jack smirked and picked it up before putting it around his neck to keep a good hold on it, obviously thinking that his fight for the key was finished. He hummed his way to go back to the chest, but he didn't expect to feel a missing piece of ground below him.

"Bugger." He had fallen in a dug up grave and he was lying on his back like a coffin would in any other. He sat up and looked up at the height of the fall. Not too high, remotely, anyway. Jack stood up in the dirty hole and actually started to climb up using roots to support him and reach the brisk air. But how little did he know, Will and James jumped onto a mill to fight on it, but the beam that connected it started to break because of their weight. Their eyes narrowed to the snapping noise and found themselves balancing on top of the moving wheel.

With a smile, Jack reached the top with ease, what a surprise! And just as he used his arms to pick him up slightly, his smile soon fallen hearing a rolling noise behind him. Jack went to catch of glimpse of _what_ that may be, but as he did, the wheel caught him over the head down to his hips, having his legs out in the open. He was yelling as the wheel was starting to turn and the key was slowly going off around his neck. He stopped yelling and started to look at it pointedly, but his legs didn't stop flailing.

When the pair of legs started to make their way to the top, it caught both James and Will off guard. Still trying to keep their balance on top of the wheel and parrying with each other, they did a slight pause as they had let Jack pass. The key fell off around his neck to go onto a nail that didn't seemed to support the mill wheel at all. Jack tried his best to wiggle out of where he was and go and get it, but as if God himself wanted to help him out, he made it to the ground pushing him up into the wheel. Oh, that was easy.

But, to his dismay, a support beam of the wheel made him fall out of the wheel and onto the cold ground. The wheel rolled away with the key.

* * *

He groaned, feeling a sharp pain in the back of his head. Christopher slowly gotten up on his knees to grasp the hilt of his sword in his hand. He turned the blade side to side, examining the shine of the polished blade for himself through the shadows of the jungle trees above him. He then looked around him, nobody that was around him earlier were around. Not even his sister, which could be the explanation of the sharp pain. As slow as he did before, he straighten himself onto his feet fully, regaining his balance.

Christopher brushed the dirt of his clothes, facing forward toward the way the two pirates, Pintel and Ragetti he believed them to be, went. Like it was cued, he suddenly heard moans and groans behind him. Christopher's eyes slightly widened, and was he able to turn around to see what exactly was moaning and groaning? He really don't think he should. But damn him, he... just had to. As slowly and cautiously as he could, he turned on his heel only to find a fish crew creeping up behind him with their weapons up.

His eyes widened and he was too scared to move. What should he do? How should he do it? Why was he so bloody frightened? The middle one with his head of a hammerhead, looked at him for a moment as the silence closed in. He clearly saw the fear easily. He then looked at the men that were on either side next to me. He yelled out, "Boo!"

Christopher yelped, "Ah,"and then dashed away while the crew of Davy Jones chased after him.

* * *

_**Thought it to be funny if Christopher wakes up and the crew of the Flying Dutchman are right there, lol. And I thought that was the perfect place to end it, too. I wasn't going to add the Jack, James, and Will fight, but it really is one of my favourite parts so it seemed needed, lol. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I promise the end of the island will be next chapter! That dreaded chapter of mine is coming up... dun, dun, dunnn.**_

_**Review?**_


	19. Wars for the Heart

_**Hey everybody! I wanted to update sooner than I could, so I did! When I was supposed to be studying, I've been writing so I tried doing both at the same time. So if you read something about World History in this, sorry. My mind was flabbergasted the whole time. Isla Cruces is done in this chapter, in the first one I believe I foreshadowed something and there is another foreshadowing of something in this... sort of. I hope you all will be able to find it. It's for the next one :) So I hope you enjoy the chapter and I hope I can update soon!**_

* * *

_Chapter Nineteen: Wars for the Heart_

Nicolette finally caught up to the sniggering pirates by stepping right in front of them with a smile developing slightly, she had her hands on her hips and she shook her head at the scene. "Now, what might I ask will two pirates like yourselves be doing with a chest in their possession like that one at the moment, eh?" Pintel and Ragetti looked up at her with their sniggering stopping and their smiles falling. She knew that she could take them no problem with a hand behind her back, she went to grab the hilt of her sword, but then the voice that cursed her hearing before, cursed it again.

"Nic!" Elizabeth, angry, called her while stopping next to her with her chest heaving up and down as a mischievous smirk played on her lips as she looked at the two pirates looking back at them blankly. She was panting from the amount of speed she used to catch up to them.

Nicolette stopped smiling and looked over at her annoyed, "Well," she started with her tone slightly peeved, "seems like you've ran a great deal since I had left you."

Elizabeth's smirk dropped and she looked over at Nicolette with a glare, "That was a dirty trick."

In response, she only smiled and noticed her scabbard to be empty. _Ah, little Lizzie was unarmed,_ her thoughts were rather devilish and uncontrollable, but it was the perfect opportunity to fend her off_._ She carefully took out her sword, while nudging Pintel, nodding toward the missing item.

Nicolette replied with Jack's phrase (she also held a bit of mockery in her tone as well), while Pintel and Ragetti followed her suit with the chest still in their hands, "Pirates."

Elizabeth cocked her brow and saw their cutlasses already out to attack. Would she really be able to fend three people by herself? She would have to try for the chest. She went to take out her own cutlass, but had found it to be absent. Where the hell was it? She thought hard of who had it and when she figured it out, she'd kill him. She was going to kill Will. With a nervous smile toward the three and a slight nervous chuckle to match, she looked up with a shrug, that wasn't supposed to happen.

"'Ello poppet." Pintel greeted with a malicious smirk. With that the three of them in a locked stance moved forward slowly to catch her as she was slowly retreating back. But the all stopped in their places when hearing something rolling a couple of feet away from them. They slowly looked over to see that it was a large wheel with two others fighting on top of it, while balancing. Nicolette strained her eyes to see that it was Will and James, rather than one of them being Jack on top of it. Wow, that was actually shocking for her eyes to look at. She had to admit she was a bit proud of that small fact.

Where was he anyway? Wasn't he with them? As the wheel rolled and once Nicolette was about to look back at Elizabeth to start a one sided chase against her, she caught sight of Jack running after the wheel with his arms being thrown around to make him run faster and easier. She wasn't shocked any longer, it didn't surprise her. But her hope for Jack actually having not to be in a stupid situation for something stupid and out of the ordinary crashed into little pieces around her. No use in having that same hope ever again.

When the wheel rolled out of their views they turned back to their own fight. Ragetti chuckled as they moved toward Elizabeth in a quickened pace than before as she was actually retreating back in a quicker pace than before as well. But someone yelling and running toward them behind Elizabeth made Ragetti, Pintel, and Nicolette stop once again seeing the faint image of someone familiar.

"Nic! Help!" Christopher. What would he... the fish like crew were behind his tail. Nicolette's face fell and she found herself frozen on the solid ground. Fear engulfing in her gut like when they were first aboard the _Pearl_. It was the same exact feeling. Elizabeth was a few feet away from them and once she turned around on her heel having her first look on the strange, rumoured crew she retreated backward toward the Ragetti and Pintel who had their eyes widened and locked on them as well.

Frightened, they handed both of their cutlasses in her hands when they were close enough. Elizabeth would need it for when the two would run off. Nicolette looked at the two in disbelief as they ran back to wherever they were going from them and then she looked at Elizabeth, with her hand trembling as she held her cutlass in her hand. Elizabeth had two, if they were to get out of here alive they were going to have to fight, obviously.

Nicolette stated as her brother and the crew were only a couple inches for penetration, "I hate you."

Elizabeth looked over before going to block an attack by one man, and then answered her, "I hate you, too."

Christopher ran past them like a coward, pushing them slightly for them to get out of the way. Nicolette immediately stabbed her sword into one that came her way. There were no bones, no organs or blood that made them up. They were immortal. Great. This was exactly what she needed.

Nicolette kicked off the man to get him off her cutlass, sending him to the ground roughly, "Immortality shit is really getting to me." She muttered to herself, before blocking an attack from another man. She really thought that she was done with it a year ago, but obviously not. She slashed her way through once she blocked many more attacks from the man and each blow had sent her back plenty of steps. When she had found an opening she realized that she should just end it temporarily and used her blade to cut through his abdomen, releasing what looked to be guts or food or something onto the ground.

Her face twisted disgustedly and she had to shake her head to get that image out. "I think I'm going to be sick." She wrinkled her nose catching the smell that was starting to rise up, but as she went to catch up to Elizabeth who was also guarding the rear she heard a _clunk._ Her eyes widened when she saw the chest on the ground and Ragetti and Pintel looking at it dimly. So, so, so stupid they were. They were trying to go on either side of the tree with the chest in their hands? How, ugh. She couldn't even think of any words to describe how remotely foolish the two must have been. It would give her headache if she tried any further.

She had to think quick, as a man went to attack her, she sheathed her sword and dashed toward the chest, sweeping it up in both her hands. Ragetti and Pintel looked at her like she was crazy, but never questioned her. Let her be like that.

Nicolette looked back to see that no one of the fish like crew actually noticed her taking it. Well that was good. But she thought too soon, she wasn't paying attention where she was going. When she looked back and before she could stop her sprint, she ran into the bark of a palm tree that was smack dab in the middle of the path. Nicolette fell back on the ground, and though you would think that she would go black immediately from the hit, she went black from the hit in the back of her head on the ground.

She groaned as her eyes went up in her head and her the lids of them slowly shielded them from looking anywhere. The chest still was gripped tightly in her hand, still not prepared with letting it go. Elizabeth threw a sword to Pintel as he shouted for it as a crewman went to stab. He was stabbed first, and that only meant one down for the three, which didn't seem to make much of a difference. They passed the two available swords amongst each other to fend off the immortal crew.

None of them noticed the limp body by the tree while passing it, but a member of Davy Jones' crew had. He looked around at the fight, thinking he had enough of this. Hadras, with his head in a shell for a hermit and his barnacle plastered body, sauntered cautiously over to the woman who had a grip on the chest. He actually recognized her, that was the woman he had held back the night when they had confronted Sparrow. That was his wench. He hovered over her and with his slimy boot he kicked her cheek lightly to see if she would awake. She didn't stir at all.

Now, this woman must have been either dead or unconscious. Either way, the Captain would definitely use her to get closer to Sparrow. Hmm, and she also had the chest. Imagine, if he would be able to deliver both... Hadras smiled like the devil himself, and bent over to throw the woman over his shoulder and roughly took the chest out of her dangling hand into his. With that, he ran toward the beach with Nicolette's limp body to get back to the _Dutchman_.

* * *

Jack was now in the spinning Will, running like a hamster to get his treat. The key was getting closer and closer to him. Just a little more! But Will, the damn whelp, saw the key out of the corner of his eye along with Jack's brightened face, that had to stop. He paused the fight between him and Norrington and jumped into the wheel holding one of the support beams to keep him there. Jack rolled his eyes, then noticed that Will actually had taken the key for himself.

"Bloody eunuch." He muttered under his breath and then with an annoyed sigh, he started to parry while holding a beam to support him as well. In pursuit of Will, Norrington entered the wheel to resume the fight between him and Will, and once again Jack. Jack was growing tired and dizzy from the spinning wheel since he was spinning along with it. When he was continuing the parry with not only Will but dear old Commodore, he noticed a way to get to the key with ease than he had seen than before.

He slashed at Will quickly, hitting his blade against his hand for the keys to be loose and then swiped them for himself. Before Will could even think of what to do to stop him, Jack jumped out of the wheel to the top and started to balance. He caught the nearest hanging vine that was above him and grabbed it just in time to watch the mill wheel roll and roll away downhill from him as he looked at it dangling. He felt bad for the men in there... no, not really actually.

Jack dropped down landing on his feet along with several coconuts. When he looked around, he noticed something remotely strange. He saw a man that without a doubt belonged to Davy Jones' crew carrying not only the chest in his hand, but also a limp body over his shoulder. Jack noticed the familiar dark hair and the familiar clothing. As he ran past, Jack picked up a coconut. He weighed it in his hand, it seemed heavy enough to knock that shell off. After considering throwing the coconut, he finally did with precise aim that was careful enough to not hit Nicky who was already unconscious it seemed.

The coconut hit Hadras' head, sending it off in a further direction. His body let go of not only the chest, but Nicolette was flipped over his back landing on her own. She groaned, feeling her senses again as her back hit the ground. Why was it that today of all days that she was getting hurt the most? It wasn't her best of days either. The body followed the voice of whom it belonged to as Jack quickly swaggered over to Nicolette.

"Nicky," Jack started, hovering over her while touching her face lightly.

She groaned again as his hand trailed up to her forehead, feeling a slight bump. Nicolette whined, "My head."

Jack retreated his hand from her head and saw her eyes slowly open. He inquired to her, "What happened to you, love? You look more worse than Norrington."

Nicolette answered simply while sitting up weakly to look at him, "Ran into a tree."

Jack seemed puzzled, out of the two of them in odd situation she always paid attention to where she was going. Oh, wait, sometimes she wouldn't. Jack could name several times that she had been either distracted or running into something. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he was anyway.

Though he was afraid of the answer, he had to ask, "What made you run into the tree?" She was about to answer as she was rubbing the back of her head, but she noticed that she had been unconscious for quite sometime, if not, it was enough time for the chest to get out of her grip and be taken. She panicked looking to her left then right, not noticing it near her.

Nicolette looked at Jack worried, "Where's the chest? I had it with me!" She went to scramble up to her feet to go and run for it, but Jack grabbed her arm to stop her. He pointed a little bit away from from her. It was right by her feet. She sighed relief and saw the keys in Jack's hand as he pulled her slowly back onto the ground to kneel next to him.

She smiled lightly and stated to him, "My vision is blurry at the moment."

Jack shrugged and admitted to her, "Happens when you get knocked on the head several times, love. Sooner than later, you will be having trouble walking by the several falls and knocks you have gotten."

"Like you?"

Jack made a face at her and shook his head no, "Now what would give you that idea, Nicky?" She rolled her eyes, what _wouldn't_ give her that idea? She didn't answer, she didn't need to. Jack went to the chest and brought in the middle of them. Nicolette looked down at it pointedly, as he went to put the key in the lock where it belonged. Hadras' voice was in the background and it made Jack's hand stop momentarily.

"To the left, no, no," he was directing his body to retrieve his head, so far no luck at all, "to the right!" His body went to the right. Wrong right. "No, no, the left!" His body went to the left again, but as it did it ran into a tree because of its lack of vision. Hadras rolled his eyes and said to his body, "No, that's a tree."

"Oh, shut it!" Jack shook his head of the stupid man's voice and proceeded to go put the key into the hole of the lock on the chest. Nicolette was waiting patiently for it to open,but that was when the second thoughts in her head came to play. What was to happen after? After they got the heart, after they got the chest and try to use it, was it going to work? Would Jack be free? If he was to be free from Davy Jones, then what would happen to them? They had been falling apart for about a month about the same pace and though they recently acted like they were okay, they still weren't.

It was clear to her that Jack had attraction for Elizabeth, it was hard for her to be oblivious of that now and the past with her and James was out in the open. Nicolette wasn't sure how Jack felt about it. The feeling of how he might feel about it was why she didn't tell him at all about the meeting in Trinidad. Once the key was about to enter in the lock, Nicolette gulped as the thoughts proceed. She needed to know. She just needed to. She placed her hand reluctantly on top of his and Jack looked up at her slowly.

"What's the matter, love?" He asked her, had a tone of urgency. She looked over at him then at the ground, it was a bad idea to stop him. Why did she stop him? Jack looked at her for her to continue, but she barely had the words. She hesitantly removed her hand for Jack to proceed.

Jack lingered there for a moment and then he decided to put the key in the lock again. But to his dismay, she quickly placed her hand over his with a sharp gasp. Jack stopped an turned to her like she was mad. She must have been, it would make sense and explain so much.

Nicolette asked him before he said anything, "Are we fine?"

"_Are we fine?_" That was why she stopped him? They wouldn't be fine unless he opened the damn chest! That was what she was worried about? There was another time, another place to discuss these things and she chose now? What, was this woman out of her bloody mind! Jack assured her, "We'll be fine once I open the bloody chest if you don't interrupt me every five seconds."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head no, "I'm not talking about that, Jack. I'm talking about me and you."

"Nicky, there's a time and place—."

"Jack, please." Her voice cracked and she shook her head, clearing her head for a moment, "I'm sorry. What happened between James and I, was nothing. I didn't tell you for a reason because I knew that you would get the wrong idea about it. I didn't know how you would react to it."

He hardly believed that there was nothing to it. The woman practically flirted with the man all the time, it was quite obvious that she was the least bit infatuated with him. Jack tried shrugging it off, but, there was no shrugging it off for him. That would probably stick with him.

Jack said to her, "We'll talk about this later, Nicky, but now, we really don't have time and I don't want to waste the precious time that is in our grasp at the moment. So if you please excuse me and let me open the chest. That'll be great." He didn't mean to have an annoyed tone and he felt a bit guilty for doing that tone. Nicolette looked at him taken back, but nevertheless shrunk back to her place next to him.

Jack looked back at the key with his eyes locked onto it. Once, the key was placed in the lock, the chest was immediately opened with a sound that made Nicolette jump forward. Her eyes furrowed to Jack's hands as he opened it in front of her. She didn't look into it though. And yet, she heard a steady heartbeat from it. Should she look? She took a deep breath and as Jack's eyes widened toward the cursed organ, her eyes took in the heart pumping invisible blood to invisible veins and arteries. She tilted her head and slowly she went to touch the heart under the pad of her thumb.

She felt the heart beat and by its slimy texture, she was intrigued, she muttered under her breath, "I can't believe it. It's actually real."

"It definitely is a wonder, ain't it?" She nodded with her her eyes fixed on the organ. Nicolette slowly moved her hand away from the heart and as she did so, Jack quickly took off his shirt. Nicolette looked him over and saw him snatching up the heart and wrapping the shirt around it. He looked around nervously to see if anyone was coming toward them, great there wasn't anybody.

She looked him up and down as he shut the chest quickly, "What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you think I think I'm doing?" He countered, standing up leaving the chest on the ground. He held the wrapped heart tightly in his hand.

"You better not be doing what I think you think you're doing." She retorted, standing up with him. Was he mad? At least leave the heart in there and not Jones' slimy heart mucus (mucus, right?) all over your shirt. "Your hygiene is bad enough and now you're going to have Jones' heart juice all over the shirt you wear all bloody time!"

Jack rolled his eyes, she knew, or should have known that hygiene was really a second priority to him and before gripping her hand and running off, he stated to her, "Trifles. Why don't you just shut it once in a while?" Nicolette glared at him and wasn't prepared to be dragged away by him simply. She kept a slower pace behind him, he seemed to be in a rush. Nicolette cocked her eyebrow and turned to look behind her shoulder to see a glimpse of her brother, Elizabeth, and Pintel and Ragetti fighting the cursed crew.

_Oh, that's why, _she thought to herself and decided to catch up to Jack's speed toward wherever he was leading her.

* * *

Nicolette and Jack ran onto the beach where the longboat was floating slightly in the shallows. Nic quickly let go of Jack's hand and started to drag the longboat with all her might closer to them. When the boat was close enough, Jack reached in and got his jar of dirt. Nicolette unwrapped the beating thing while he emptied out the dirt. When she heard something coming out of the nearby forest of palms, she snapped her head toward it as Jack placed the heart in the jar.

When Jack was filling the dirt back in, Nicolette muttered to him with her hand on the hilt of her sword, "We have company."

Jack shut the jar and then looked up to see Nicolette already running to help Elizabeth defend the back end while Pintel and Ragetti are running on the beach toward them. Jack rolled his eyes and before he could even think about helping he heard a noise behind himself as well. Jack took the closest thing toward him, which happened to be an oar and started to defend himself with it.

Nicolette stabbed through a man and threw him to the side. She looked over to see her brother struggling to block this man's attempts at killing him. She looked down at the ground. Should she? She looked up at him, hearing a grunt escape his throat and she sighed to herself, "I can't believe I'm going to do this."

She hurried behind the man and stabbed through his back. The blade went through just missing the man's spine and Christopher looked over at it in shock that it was Nic who had done it. He had to escape his surprise and dropping his cutlass he gripped both the man shoulders in both of his hands and picked his knee to his groin. Nicolette removed her cutlass as he groaned and went into the pale water. Christopher looked at her unsure whether to smile at her as a way of thanks or to nod or something instead of just gaping there, but that was all he felt like doing.

Nicolette assured him before he went to speak, "No need for thanks, no one gets to kill my brother, but me." Christopher nodded and smiled at her, but as she walked away, his smile dropped. What was that supposed to mean?

The wheel Jack was in before rolled out onto the sandy area of the shore and spun around before making a splash as it hit. Nicolette stopped in her place seeing it as she was about to attack, but noticed James and Will going two different directions as they left the wheel. Will going toward them, James going toward the boat. Nicolette held her breath as James was seen by her staggering toward it. She went to stop him, but someone grabbed her wrist tightly in their hand. She rolled her eyes and tried to not let her patience simmer into nothing.

She turned around to see a crew member of Davy Jones' and just looked at it. Not doing anything. The man reluctantly took his other hand, which gripped an axe, up and went to swing at the crook of her neck. She didn't wince, she didn't at all move, seeing a pistol at the corner of her being raised and fired with precise aim at the man's arm. She still didn't wince as the arm along with the hand that held the axe in fell into the crystal blue water. Nicolette turned to look to see that it was Christopher who had the smoking gun.

He shook his head and put his pistol back into its holster before walking toward her and taking her arm roughly. "You didn't fight back!" He shouted at her.

"Oh, I didn't." She muttered to herself in shock, she didn't realize what was going on back there until he had actually took her by the arm. The man that attacked her before, came at them and Nicolette took her arm back from Christopher roughly. She went to get her cutlass again and continued, or redeeming the fight with the one-armed man who was swinging rapidly at her. As Christopher looked over at the longboat he saw James looking right back at them. He raised his eyebrow and then realized what he was up to... but that was... nothing was impossible with Jack Sparrow and after going on this venture he learned that right away.

Christopher went to run after him, but when he went to unsheathe his sword he only found himself blocking a man's attack rather than killing Norrington who was obviously searching for the heart.

James was alone at the boat and when he had gotten there, he noticed that Jack's jacket was weakly lying in it with the Letters of Marque from Elizabeth facing toward him. Well, no doubt he was going to need that. He reached over and took it in his hand. He securely tucked it in his own jacket. He went to run off from the boat, but a gleam from the jar of dirt. James turned to look at it. Considering. He would _really _have his life back if he were to exchange the heart. The heart was in there, right? He noted Jack doing something before he arrived. The heart wasn't in the chest.

Norrington looked up to see Jack a good distance away from him. He then turned to see Christopher handling his sister in his hand. James took a long look at Nicolette, who seemed unsure of what had just happened before. A man came at her and she roughly took back her arm to attack him. James tilted his head slightly at her and then looked at the jar for a moment, getting second thoughts. His life though, his reputation, was by far more important than what that woman might have thought of this. James went to look back at her, but instead locked eyes with Grayson, or Brown, whatever he wanted to call himself these days.

His face dropped, well, that was not good. When Christopher got attacked, he went back to getting the heart out of the dirt, dismissing all second thoughts that he was starting to have.

Pintel and Ragetti carry the chest while Norrington proceeded in the fight against them, to defend the two men who had thought they had the heart with them. The seven people were slowly backing up to the boat. The two dropped it in the longboat and went to go help fight.

For a moment, Will stopped his fight with a man and noticed the key was still in the lock. He saunters over as Jack was still fighting by it with the oar. As Will moved his hand toward the chest to open, Jack caught a glimpse and to stop him he quickly did to the man what he had done to him a bloody year ago! Jack swung his oar at Will with all his might. He hit Will hard against the cheek and sent him into a temporary, never-ending darkness. Jack mocked his surprise seeing Will's limp body laying across the boat.

Nicolette jumped hearing the oar clunk against something and looked over to see that it was Will who was there. She went to go help him up, but then stopped midway. The bastard lied to her when she was... that didn't matter any more, she knew, nothing mattered any more now since everything between everyone was temporarily forgotten. She watched Elizabeth run over to him to help him instead and looking left then right, she quickly fended off the hammer-head shark man before meeting up with the six others. She found herself in between Norrington and Elizabeth.

They were all looking dimly at the crew that was surrounding them. Elizabeth went to wake up Will, but Jack stopped her immediately, "No, leave him lay!" Elizabeth snapped her head up at him quickly. He added as she stood up, "Unless you plan on hitting something with him."

Elizabeth surveyed the crew that surrounded them, "We're not getting out of this."

Christopher looked over at her passed Jack, "Really, now? I haven't noticed." Elizabeth glared at him with her cutlass pointed at the slowly creeping crew.

James added after them going for the empty chest in the longboat, "Not with the chest." Nicolette looked at him in disbelief as he gestured for everyone other than him. "Into the boat."

"James?" Her voice was shaky as she and him looked at each other with doubt. That was extremely noble of him, but why? She found herself searching his green eyes for some kind of answer, but there was enough uncertainty that lied in there. He held the chest tightly in his grip. Christopher looked past them and tilted his head curiously, he even saw the worry on his sister face from not even knowing her for half his life. Jack tried not to.

Elizabeth made James' eyes flickered over to her, "You're mad!" She stated to him.

James said to her, but it was really toward Nicolette, "Don't wait for me." With that, James ran off with the chest and the heart in his jacket. Nicolette's face, along with many others dropped. Though, hers was only from the how he looked at her before he did so.

Jack watched as the crew ran after the noble, former Commodore. "I say," he started to them, "we respect his final wish." They nodded quickly in agreement as they placed all of what they had in the longboat. Nicolette was going at a slower pace and she was only sheathing her sword back in its scabbard. Nicolette kept her eyes on the forest that he entered and felt her heart dropping only a bit. She didn't realize that she was walking a bit toward it and shouting his name.

Someone gripped her arm tightly and then led her back to the longboat in a quick place, but she didn't bother to keep up with it. "Nicky." Jack groaned in annoyance. He was dragging her away so they could at least make a quick escape back to the_ Pearl_, but she wasn't cooperating until she had heard the groan. When they got into the crowded longboat, Nicolette reluctantly sat down next to Jack who was eyeing her carefully.

Elizabeth and Christopher watched the two of them carefully unsure if Jack was going to blow out on her or if Nicolette was going to tongue lash him. Jack said to her, "Nothing happened between you two, eh?" She said that nothing had happened, but he begged to differ from what he had just seen take place between the two.

She gulped and lied to him, "Nothing ever did." She started to play with her hands nervously and looked down at them shaking her head. Or she thought nothing happened between them.

Jack didn't believe the bluff, but acted as though he did, "You sure?"

"Positive." She lied again.

"How positive do you think you are?" Jack inquired to her, Nicolette finally looked up at him. She knew what he was doing very clearly. It wasn't going to work because she wasn't at all sure of what the answer might be for him.

She looked into his brown eyes that had caught her in so many spells that he had charmed her under. She was under one at the moment, though, she wanted to answer truthfully, she lied one last time. "Very much. I was just shocked that he had done that noble act. That's all."

Jack looked in her hazel eyes for a moment, searching very thoroughly for the bluff that she had just told. To his dismay, it wasn't at all easy to find. It was difficult. He only had to do one thing. She trusted him, so he had to trust her and believe what she had told him. It was hard to believe it, so instead, he only hoped.

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_**So, that was the chapter :) I hope you all caught the foreshadowing bit. I'm not sure if I made it out there like I wanted to make it out there, but it's definitely there somewhere. My real AP World test is this Thursday, last one was only practice. The next update might not be for a while, though. I'm giving my apologies beforehand, sorry :(. Well I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter! **_

_**(Oh, and I know Jack didn't take off his shirt in the movie, in the original script however, he had and I was like... hmm, I like me some shirtless Jack, so I did that instead, lol. Just letting you all know.)**_

_**Review? **_


	20. A Safe Coward

_**Ugh, I really should be studying right now, but of course, I didn't want to leave you all with a huge gap and this chapter has been bugging me to be done that I just had to finish it. Lol, I halved the Kraken scene, so this is the first half. I really should be studying, lol. But I will now! I also wanted to tell you all, that the next story, is called Closer to the Edge. Like this one it is credited to a song and that song is on my profile if you want to listen to it. So this is the first part of the Kraken, enjoy! And I was listening to the Jar of Dirt remix while writing this xD**_

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_Chapter Twenty: A Safe Coward_

Jack helped Nicolette on board the _Pearl_ while holding his jar of dirt closely by him. She didn't bother showing her usual smile that could show the joy she felt before James had left them. She remained silent as the longboat went and her eyes were locked on the blue capped water. Her brother's heart seemed to drop just watching her and the tension between her and Jack only increased, no matter how much Jack tried to break it. Will was carried onto the deck and Elizabeth, worried over her fiancé, hovered over him waiting for him to stir the slightest. Nicolette walked over slowly to the railing and watched the Isla Cruces stay in its place.

They were successful, in her eyes, in getting the heart. Christopher kept his eyes on his sister while Jack was giving an order to get moving. While the rest of the crew scurried around, he kept in his place. She was grazing her hands over the smooth railing and looked down at it away from the island. She wanted the ship to be moving far from it, why wasn't it moving yet?

She heard Gibbs' voice behind her talking to Jack, "Where's the Commodore?"

Jack's eyes furrowed to Nicolette who kept her eyes on the same island. With his eyes locked on her, he stated to Gibbs, "Fell behind." Jack didn't know whether to go to Nicolette or to the helm, but he knew better than to talk to her. She was private and she liked to think things through sometimes on her own.

Gibbs lowered his head for a moment, "My prayers be with him." Two seconds went by and he picked his head up to see Jack heading up to the helm to direct his _Pearl _away. "Best not wallow in our grief!" Nicolette winced, realizing that was exactly what she was doing. But she didn't at all move as Gibbs brushed past her to follow Jack. "The bright side is, you're back. And we made it off free and clear."

It was like they were overhearing them. The _Flying Dutchman _broke surface through the water freezing the crew of the _Black Pearl_. Nicolette's eyes widened, taking in the ghostly ship for the first time and immediately backing up away from the railing. She didn't know whether to be afraid or actually seemingly afraid since she knew that they were going to be okay with the heart... right?

Nicolette felt her arms being caught from backing up too far and she looked behind her shoulder to see that it was only Christopher who was looking over her protectively. She nodded thanks, not saying a word at all. She looked up at the helm to see that Jack was far from afraid, he actually had a toothy grin plastered on his face as the crew of the _Dutchman _stayed by the railing with their Captain at the helm.

Jack pushed Gibbs aside who was looking at the crew like they were the grim, "I'll handle this, mate." His words were heard by Nicolette since they were the only words that were heard through the silence of the ship.

Nicolette muttered, "Don't do anything stupid, Jack."

"Oi, fish face!" He started and she rolled her eyes seeing him raise the jar of dirt over his head, waving it around like a maniac.

"Like that."

"Lose something, eh?" Jack started to move across the helm with it still over his head. "Hey, squi—!" Unfortunately to some members of the crew, he wasn't at all paying mind to where exactly he was going. He tumbled down in the middle of his sentence and hit the main deck hard in front of Nicolette. Everyone oohed except her, she rolled her eyes and went to help him get up, but his hands holding the jar of dirt. She moved back with a scowl developing as he shouted, "Got it!" She rolled her eyes and then noticed how taken back Jones was on the other side.

Nicolette went to pull aside Jack, when he moved away from her to strut across the deck. Should she continue to try? Jack yelled over to him, "Come to negotiate, eh, have you? You slimy git!" Nicolette gaped at him, she decided to look at Gibbs who was at the helm looking at his Captain in disbelief. Nicolette shook her head. Cocky bastard. Why in the bloody hell was he doing this? In her dismay, he continued, "Look what I got! I got a jar of dirt! I got a jar of dirt!" Nicolette looked embarrassed and went to look down as Jack finished the jar of dirt song he made up. "And guess what's inside it?"

"Enough!" Jones snarled, looking at Jack in disbelief that he actually had the nerve to start this capering of his. The _Flying Dutchman _revealed their cannons out of the port holes and Jack's face fell. This was not according to plan. Stunned in his place, his eyes were locked onto the cannons that were being pulled out.

In a whisper that only Nicolette could hear in her shock, "Hard to starboard."

"Hard to starboard!" She yelled out in a more audible tone and noticed Christopher bolting in action on deck. Will swept past her as she ran to the railing, feeling the ship turning away from the _Dutchman. _She grabbed a hand of the rigging leading up to the sails and leaned forward.

The _Flying Dutchman _could do circles around the _Pearl_. It was clear to her. It might be the fastest ship on the Caribbean, but the _Dutchman _was faster. She looked up to see the sails bellowing up above her.

Nicky turned her head sharply as a cannon ball shot through the Captain's cabin. Her hair fell out of the bun she had it in and then she got off the rigging, walking over to see the perch she made overlooking the window blown with the dreaded book that she still loathed flying out of the hole and then noticed a man being hit by it, sending him flying off the _Pearl. _They were doomed. The realization of them being doomed caused her eyes to widen. Jones was a loose cannon like she had heard before from rumours.

She looked up at the helm to see Jack clinging onto his dirt while his hand was steering the ship away. She quickly joined them on it, dodging men who were running down in a hurry.

When on top, she ran to the back of the ship to see the _Dutchman _reveal to them their triple cannons. If it was possible her face dropped even further and the sounds of the crew shouting at each other to make the ship more faster than it was going became faint to her hearing. "Mary, mother of God." She muttered under her breath, putting a hand to her black trinket that was faintly touching the crook of her neck.

She turned on her heel sharply and rushed toward Jack who looked the fiercest he had ever been around her. "Jack," she started unsure if it was a good idea to ruin his vibrato on the wheel.

Jack grimaced at her, "What do you want, Nicky? I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment."

"They have two triple guns on the bow." Jack's face dropped and he looked over at her.

"Triple as in three?"

Nicolette cocked her eyebrow and asked him, "What else could triple mean?" Jack groaned, great, exactly what he needed. Nicolette went to look behind her, seeing the _Flying Dutchman_ farther behind. She then looked up to see the sails still bellowing above them. The wind. They were with the wind, which was good, the _Black Pearl _was known for its speed rather than everything else that made it a ship. Maybe they weren't as doomed, but they were still doomed in her eyes.

Elizabeth looked over the railing and smiled broadly, seeing the _Dutchman _falling out of their sights. She said amazed, "She's falling behind!"

"Aye, we've got her!" Gibbs stated showing up next to her and taking in the glorious advantage over them. It was _their_ advantage after all.

Christopher looked at Gibbs puzzled, seeing for himself the _Pearl _far off from it, "We're the faster?"

Gibbs explained to him excited, "Aye! Against the wind the _Dutchman _beats us. That's how she takes her prey. But with the wind..."

Will finished for him, showing up next to Elizabeth, "We rob her advantage?" Gibbs nodded with the smile only growing more triumphant. For a second, a hope to get away entered in on Will's eyes and the corners of his mouth actually almost twitched into a smile, but then, they stopped. He almost forgotten his promise to his father, he needed to go back. He ran up to the helm.

Nicolette overheard a cheer from Marty, "They're giving up! Yeah!" She cocked her eyebrow and turned her head sharply to see the _Flying Dutchman _out of range for the _Pearl_. That wasn't right. She shook her head in disbelief as Jack next to her smiled feeling successful in outrunning the devil. It wasn't right at all. Jones wouldn't just give up. She continued to look at it to see that the ship remained still in the water. They seemed like they were waiting for something rather than giving up entirely.

She stated to Jack with her eyes locked on it, "That's so... strange."

Jack inquired to her over the cheers of the crew, his smile engulfing half of his face, "Why is it that, darling?"

"I thought that Jones never gives up and that he's a loose cannon. For him to just give up, it's just..." She trailed off as she turned around to see Will looking at Jack worried. He was glancing back and forth between Jack and the ship that they had seemed to outrun. She looked Will up and down, for the first time, she noticed something... different about him. His stature, his paranoia, he didn't seem to be the same like she had left him or like he had left the _Pearl_ as. He seemed less idiotic, less naïve, less... sane. "Will?"

Will ranted to Jack, ignoring Nicolette's concerned tone, "My father is on that ship." Bootstrap was with Jones' crew? Oh, right he said that on the island. Nicolette heard his voice again in urgency, "If we can outrun her, we can take her. We must turn and fight." She looked at him like he was crazy, now why would they do that?

Jack's smiled turned into a smirk and he rested his jar of dirt on top of the railing of the helm with his hand on top of it. Patting it lightly, he said to Will, "Why fight when you can negotiate? All one needs is the proper leve—."

Nicolette looked over at Jack with her face falling. She intruded, "Jack, did you even tell Jones that we have the heart in that little chatter you were doing before?"

Jack's face fell and he looked at Nic grimly, "Say again?"

She looked at him with the same grim look starting to develop, "Oh God, you didn't." Jack didn't know what to think of that. How in the bloody hell could he be so stupid? Jack couldn't do anything about it now, and it sort of didn't matter. They were safe! Why was Nicolette so bloody worried? The _Dutchman _turned away and they were in the clear! But then the ship lurched to a stop in the water. Everyone felt it and staggered by the supernatural force that made them halt. Even the jar of dirt felt it as well. It toppled off of the railing Jack had set it on top of and shattered on the main deck, the dirt was scattered all around the shards.

Jack's face dropped as he looked over the railing along with Nicolette's. The heart. The god damn heart was in there. Not caring for the helm any longer, Jack immediately went into action, dashing to the deck where the jar shattered. Nicolette walked a slower speed down the helm and stopped gripping the rigging of the _Pearl. _Jack was patting the dirt flat, searching for what was supposed to be there.

Her heart slowly broke seeing Jack's face dropping even further, worried by what might come to him now. The heart wasn't there. "Where is it?" Jack questioned, still searching desperately for it. "Where is the _thump thump?_" Nicolette slowly knelt down next to him and lightly touched the dirt. She shook her head in disbelief. In Jack's words, there was no thump thump. And she almost felt her heart not do a thump thump. But then she felt her blood boil within her.

"James." She whispered to herself, "That bastard." Jack looked up at her to see her hands starting to ball up in fists on both her knees. She gotten up and looked around to see Christopher kicking the wood of the _Pearl _hard. He figured it all out. He couldn't agree more with Nicolette, that man was a slimy bastard. He caused his sister that hurt from making her believe that he was sacrificing _his _life for them when really he was sneaking off with the heart and took the chest as a decoy intentionally.

Not only that, but now it was _he_ who was going to get his life back, not him and his sister. He was more than furious. The sibling fury was hidden beneath the shouts of worried crew. Gibbs' voice shouted as he looked over the railing seeing the water swirling and becoming a paler blue in one area, "Must've hit a reef!" Will's eyes became widened, he saw this before.

"No." He said to himself, before hurrying over to get Elizabeth away from the railing. "It's not a reef!" He took Elizabeth by the elbows to drag her away from there. "Get away from the rail."

Elizabeth cocked her eyebrow, seeing a fear from her fiancé that she had never seen before. "What is it?"

Will replied, "The Kraken." Nicolette's eyes widened and she looked over to see Jack's face slowly rising up. He looked to his hand with the Black Spot, being reminded that it never left. Will brushed past her, shouting orders since he knew he what they were up against. "It'll attack the starboard! I've seen it before. Bring out the cannons and hold for my signal!" Christopher went to where the pikes were kept, opening and handing them to men to provide others that weren't going to go below to the cannons a means of defence.

Nicolette went to go get one herself when Jack gripped her arm, stopping her to go any further, "No, Nicky," he started. She slowly turned on her heel to look at him worried. "We can't stay here, we'd be goners."

Her face fallen and she looked around as Jack dragged her to the longboat that was already halfway down. No one would notice them leaving and now was the perfect time with the crew scurrying. Nicolette's eyes followed Jack as he entered the longboat quickly so he wouldn't be seen. He held the rope to lower them down into the water with him and then he noticed Nicolette starting to look away deep in thought. She couldn't just leave everyone aboard to die. It wasn't right, nor was it right to leave the place she had come to know as her home.

"Nicky?" Jack held out his hand to her so she could take it and be helped in, but she only looked at it questionably. A deep frown started to develop on her face as tears started to well in her eyes. He looked so determined, so set on leaving like it was a dire need. Jack kept his hand out for her, but he knew that they weren't going to have any more time soon if the Kraken were to catch them at that very moment. "Nicky, we don't want to be caught by the Kraken, take my hand so I can help you in."

She shook her head slowly, "I can't." Her breathing started to become uneven as she looked at him nervously biting her bottom lip. Jack's face fell even further than it had before when he heard the word Kraken escape from Will. No, she had to come it wasn't really an option to just say _no_. They would die. Did she want them to die?

Jack nevertheless kept his hand still out to her, "No, you can. You must. You shan't stay here and die. You'd die, you know that, love." Nicolette looked at him dimly and instead of taking his hand like he wanted her to do, she walked over the rope taking it in her hand tightly. She tugged it away from his grip gently. Jack only looked at her, slowly retreating his hand back to him. "Nicky, what in the bloody hell are you doing?"

She closed her eyes, to shield her view of him being lowered into the water. Nicky only stated to him, "As long as you're not going to die, I'm fine. But I cannot go with you, Jack." Jack furrowed his eyebrows at her and tried to continue looking at her, so she would sense it and look back at him, but whatever he was trying to do wasn't working and it wasn't going to. Nicolette couldn't bear to cast her eyes on him, if she did, she would _want_ to go with him. Spend a life with him without a worry, but she couldn't now, it was wrong.

To Jack's dismay, he felt the boat starting to be lowered in the water and Nicolette was who he was locked on while going down. She wasn't at all trying to look at him, but her restraint was didn't have a good grip on her. When she heard a splash of Caribbean water below, not sure whether it was the Kraken or Jack, she decided to crack open her eyes and lean over the railing only a little. Seeing that it was only Jack, who wasn't moving at all and just staring up at her aggravated that she wasn't _there_ with him, she pursed her lips and let go of the rope.

"Go!" She shouted in a small, cracking tone for no one but him to hear. Jack saw an intensity in her eyes that wasn't foreign at all. The determined look she would always carry was spread all over that beautiful face of hers and her hazel eyes changed into an auburn colour. Jack reluctantly went to pick up the rows and with one final hesitant look at Nicky he rowed off as she smiled lightly at his fading image. He was a safe coward. But she really didn't care about the coward part, it was something that wasn't worth caring about.

"Nic, are you daft?" Christopher's voice was suddenly pulling her away from the railing and her thoughts as was his tight grip that was suddenly on her arm. Nicolette looked at her brother who was holding two pikes, one for her she assumed. Christopher inquired to her annoyed, "What is the matter with you lately? First you were going to let a man attack you and kill you and now you are at the rail when Will said to stay away from it. Didn't you hear him before? We have to stay vigilant if we are to survive it, so focus, will you?"

"Shut up for once." She retorted with her eyes emotionless. Christopher looked at her with a taken back frown and she ignored it, taking the pike out of his hand roughly and walking away from him unnerved. Christopher turned on his heel to see Nicolette watching over the deck carefully, awaiting for what was to attack them.

The ship groaned and rumbled, leaving the men of the _Pearl_ frozen in their spots on the deck. Nicolette's heart dropped and she gripped her pike tighter with both her hands, getting in a stance to be able to attack it if necessary. She felt something already have the feel of the ship and was creeping further up the black wood slowly, trying to catch them off guard.

Will quickly ran down the steps to go down below, "Easy boys!" He demanded, already seeing the gunmen's fallen faces from the sight. Some jumped, including Pintel and Ragetti, hearing a voice in the near silence. They turned only to see that it was carrying a staff to direct them.

Elizabeth saw the tips of the Kraken's tentacles starting to reveal themselves over the railing, probably trying to feel if there were any men for it to take below already. "Will?" Her voice cracked as her eyes followed them up. Nicolette held her breath and tried not to gape as she backed up in a steady rhythm like every other man that was on her side of the ship.

"Steady!" Will ordered sternly, some men were getting impatient with the amount of time it was to hold their fire. That was a bit too stern, though, he tried again in a more calmer, but stern voice, "Steady."

Nicolette's breath caught up in her throat, worried. She cried to get Will's attention softly in fear, "Will?"

Will was only focused on the cannons to be held. "Hold. Hold..."

Pintel was getting impatient like everyone else. He turned to Will, "I think we've held fire long enough."

Elizabeth was getting more and more worried and annoyed about how Will wasn't doing anything yet. The Kraken's tentacles seemed to go to their highest point and that was only when her amount of worry peaked to _its_ highest point. When close to the steps, she shouted down to him in a cry, "Will!"

Nicolette backed up into her, hearing the word, 'Fire!' roar from her. The two fell back, but caught themselves on their own two feet as the cannons blasted the tentacles off the side of the ship. It wasn't expecting it at all. The cannons hit each one, hearing the monster squeal from the burning sensation. With each shot, Nicolette watched stun seeing the Kraken's tentacles sinking beneath the ship. She smiled triumphantly, one round down. And they had won that round, no less.

The crew cheered and Nic cheered along with them. But the cheering stopped when she felt Will pull her to the side along with Elizabeth. "It'll be back." He said in a hushed tone, looking around the deck cautiously to see if anyone would overhear him. "We have to get off the ship."

Nicolette questioned him, she was still unprepared to leave everyone, "Get off the ship?"

Will ignored her, she wasn't going to be able to say no to it this time she figured. Elizabeth looked over to see the boats wrecked in the corner and said to Will, "There's no boats." Will face dropped, they were going to have to deal with this. Nicolette didn't bother looking at them, she knew that there was only one left and it was absent from the rest of them.

Will walked away from the two of them with the realization that they might actually die starting to hit him painfully. He looked around the ship, he needed to wrap his head around this. He needed a plan. Turner, needed to think like a Captain would. He looked to see the barrels of gunpowder rolling away from the wreckage. Gunpowder. And that was when the idea hit him, "Pull the grates!" He shouted, running across the deck. He continued the order, "Get all the gunpowder into the net in the cargo hold!"

He retrieved a long gun and went back to hand it to Nic who was looking at him in awe. He seemed to be good at taking charge. "Whatever you do, don't miss." Her eyes furrowed toward the musket and her breath caught up in her throat as she hesitantly took it.

Her aim with pistols and muskets weren't good at all. She wasn't a terrific marksman. But she had to try at the very least. Nic nodded to him slowly, answering, "Don't worry about that. As soon as you're clear, I'll shoot." Will nodded back to her, leaving her alone with Elizabeth. She gulped, "Elizabeth?"

"What, Nic?"

She pursed her lips and said to her friend, "You know, I don't really hate you."

Elizabeth cocked her eyebrow, but remembered that she had said that before the fish-like crew attacked them. She stated back to Nicolette, "I know you don't. I don't either." She smiled lightly at her, receiving one back with a nod. Elizabeth said to her before she had gone to help below, "Nic, be careful please."

She chuckled back, "Likewise." When Nicolette was about to go below deck she once again felt a hand drag her away from there. She saw Christopher looking at her with concern, he noticed something or rather someone missing among them. Nicolette rolled her eyes annoyed that he needed to do this now of all times. "Can we talk later? I'm busy trying to act _vigilant._"

"No, we cannot." His voice was more stern than she actually ever heard it be. Nicolette took her arm back from him as he continued to ask, "Where's Jack?"

She gulped and looked away from with her face fallen, "Jack who?" Christopher looked at her puzzled and slowly smirked at her. She knew very well of who and where this man was.

"He's not here, is he?" Nicolette looked over at him and instead of answering, she remained silent. She didn't want to say it. But Chris already knew, so there was no point in telling him. Christopher then left her to go below the deck himself, but she did not go like she originally wanted to do, instead, she found herself walking toward the railing on the starboard side to see a faint longboat. Her heart didn't drop, no, it should have but it did. She remained frozen watching him with the oars firmly in his grip.

"Step to!" She heard Elizabeth's voice come next to her and she tried to look away from Jack, acting like he wasn't seen by her. Elizabeth stopped at the rigging, seeing a glimpse of him, rowing away. This was his ship! And here he was... just abandoning it with all that care for him? How absurd that might sound to others ears. And how much of a betrayal it was to her and probably to others around her. She tapped Nicolette's shoulder, who was making it her great mission in getting away from her.

Nicolette swallowed her pride and turned around to face her with a worried glare, she knew what it was about. "Yes, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth kept her eyes on the boat and pulled Nicolette closer to the rail, "Is that Jack there?"

Nicolette tried to act like she didn't know already, but she couldn't help her voice cracking as she spoke, "I believe so."

Elizabeth couldn't believe it and as she continued to bore her eyes on Jack rowing away, she only came to one conclusion. She stated to Nicolette, "What a coward."

Though, it hurt her to say her thoughts to Elizabeth what she had thought before, she stated them to her anyway, with tears starting to sting her eyes, "He's a safe coward, no less."

It hurt her to agree, but one hope clung to her that Jack would actually come back to his friends and his beloved ship. He gave up too much to just lose it now. He had to come back, right? Though, Nicolette was the one who helped him get away, though she was the one who _actually _wanted him to get away safely, she hoped that he would be the greater man and come back. But there was a small part of her that doubted it.

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_**I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. The next update will be soon, I hope. I'm not going to leave you guys off on that for too long don't worry. Love you all xoxo**_

_**Review?**_


	21. The Bloody Hands of Elizabeth Swann

**_Hi everyone. Well, this is the dreaded chapter we've all be dreading to read or excited to read. I didn't want to write it, but I wanted to get it partly overwith. The Kraken part, I'm sorry, was another chapter I didn't want to write, so if it's bad, I had no idea what to write for it. This has some symbolism like the Green Apple chapter of Barbossa, this is the Bloody Hands of Elizabeth Swann. I didn't write the whole Jack scene death though, I wanted to do something different with it and make it into its own chapter. Since I was listening to the soundtrack of it I almost cried while writing it :(. Well, I hope you enjoy!_**

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_Chapter Twenty-One: The Bloody Hands of Elizabeth Swann_

Rowing. That was Jack was doing. He was rowing away from danger. That was what he was doing. The coward's way out. At first, he didn't look at it like that, until Nicolette said no to go with him, until he had rowed more toward the island, until he had stopped, seeing his ship being attacked by the sea monster of Davy Jones' bidding. Jack locked eyes on the blackened hulk that was wrapped by light, slimy green tentacles trying to bring it down. Bring him down, though, the beast and no one else other than Nicky, noticed that he had left. Jack's shoulders fell and he looked at the ship tentatively, this was wrong.

This was all his fault. Of course it was. If it wasn't for his stupid decision he made in his youth than he wouldn't be in that exact position he was at in that moment, looking distantly at the beloved thing he put so much work into keeping, losing, and regaining. Now he only felt himself loosing it again. It was a never-ending pattern, wasn't it?

He brought all those innocent people into this.

Will, who at first he didn't really care about in bringing in at all, Elizabeth, who didn't deserve to be brought into it at all, Gibbs, his trusted first mate, Marty, the dwarf who fought like he was twice his size, Cotton and Cotton's parrot, one silent and not splitting his ear in annoyance while his pet had something to do with that, the belligerent homunculus and his friend with the wooden eye, who, Jack recently found out were close family, and Christopher Brown, or Grayson, the man who wasn't supposed to be involved in it at all.

And then there was Nicolette Brown. The woman that enchanted him into a sickness he knew he couldn't find the remedy for. Jack, knew this was going to happen, he knew that Jones at one point will catch up to him. Will try to get him. But he swore to himself, even before meeting the bonny lass that it wouldn't happen. And yet, here they were, running. Or rather, he was running away. A measly pirate tradition of his that he concocted up for himself. It wasn't exactly a wonderful tradition of his.

The thing about Nicolette was that, once she promised something to someone, whether the circumstance she was in with that someone, she would keep it no matter what. She would get that look in her eye that sometimes scared others and then she would be committed in that promise every step in the way. Jack realized that was what she was doing. When Nicolette could be with him, running away with him, she would rather defend the _Pearl_. Her home. Her words to him when she was exposed to all this were, _'The Black Pearl is freedom. And I'm not prepared to lose said freedom either. Jack, I promise that whatever happens, I'll share the consequence with you. If he takes you, he takes me. And we're not going down without a fight either.'_

Her words to him were thought to be broken easily, but there she was, and here he was. Where was his end of the fight?

His end had depleted. But he needed to revive it. The sooner he'd revive it, the better.

He could hear the screams of horror from his crew and feel the fright they must feel. Why was he leaving again? He let go the handles of the oars in his hands and sighed, unlatching his compass off his belt. He was sure of what he wanted now, so sure, that he was sure that the compass would be there to confirm it for him. That it would actually work for him after several months of it turning continuously because not even it.

The compass didn't lie... ever. And when it made a steady point toward black sails, Jack knew what he must do.

* * *

Nicolette staggered with the musket in her hands, she looked around the ship worried, another attack was about to happen, but where was it going to happen was the question? Then without a second of thought, she heard wood shattering below her, followed by screams of innocent gunners. Will's voice boomed below, "Pull away!"

It was going to be her turn soon and before Nicolette could even think, she felt something coming up her leg. Nicolette's eyes widened and she quickly turned around to see a tentacle on her. In a flash, she took her sword with the musket tightly in her hand and slashed at the tentacle starting to curl.

She made a face as it fell in front of her and she ran dodging a man being pulled overboard. Quickly, she sheathed her sword and got up on the helm while the man continued to heave Will up with the gunpowder and... barrels of rum. It broke her heart, sort of, when she heard that the rum was being used as gunpowder, but at the same time she was glad that the vile drink would be out of her sights for a little while. She wouldn't be found drunk from it any time soon.

Voices were a blur to her and she saw the top of Will's brown hair emerging from below. When she went to take a stance and point the gun at the net, she waited for Will to get out of the way and into the clear. But then, she heard someone's voice boom into her limited hearing, "Nicolette!"

Before she could react, she felt something pull at her ankle and drag her off the helm and soon off the ship. The musket flew out of her hands and landed close to Elizabeth. Now she found that it was she who was going to have to shoot the cargo. Christopher ran to the helm in a hurry and took out his pistol as his sister was nearing death.

He cocked it and aimed at the monstrous tentacle that had her. Nicolette shrieked and grabbed the broken railing of the ship before hearing another sound in her hearing and something snap behind. She snapped her head to see the tentacle smoke and fall into the water.

Nicolette sighed a relief too soon and then when she went to grab the railing she felt her hand suddenly slipping. "Oh no." She muttered. With a grunt, she quickly went to switch hands, but once again felt it slipping from her grasp. Nic didn't bother with calling for help, that would only make things grow worse.

"Nic." Christopher muttered his sister's name not seeing her at all on the deck. He went to the railing she was being dragged away from seeing a delicate hand slipping away from it. Nicolette tried to grab the railing again and then looked down to see the drop she had if she were to fall. But she lost her grip of the other hand.

She shrieked and went to swing over again, only to find someone grabbing her loose, swinging hand. She looked to see that it was her brother, "I got you." He said to her quickly and tried pulling her back up as a man wrapped by a tentacle flew passed him. "Grab my arm, Nic! I won't let you go!" He shouted to her annoyed, he didn't realize how heavy she was until now. She seemed thin though.

With a grunt, she did what he said, and found herself dangling from only the support of her brother's strength. He pulled her over and threw her roughly onto the deck on her arm. She hissed and nursed it while laying on her back, but then saw something going to slam right in front of her face. She rolled on her side and winced, hearing the slam break the wood of the ship that was next to her.

Christopher gave her his hand to help her up, but she only looked at it disgusted and said to him, "Oh, now you want to help me up." Christopher looked at her insulted as she disinclined and got up herself. She looked around to see that Will was dangling upside down with his foot caught in the netting.

He was yelling for Elizabeth who had the musket now to shoot, but she was hesitating and waiting. What in the bloody hell was she waiting for? But then she remembered, that Elizabeth, like her, wouldn't shoot before Will was in the clear. He had to be there. But he was stuck and he had to get out of there. "Shoot, Elizabeth, shoot!"

"Lizzie!" She never called her that before, but she didn't feel like extending it to her full name in spite of the situation. Nicolette noticed a tentacle go after her ankle in a quick second and then she was being dragged down the steps to the helm. The musket going onto the main deck. Nic ran quickly to get to it, when a naïve man went to pick it up himself and aim at the net as the Kraken was just starting to wrap itself around it.

Elizabeth shrieked when Ragetti, who had an axe in his hand, went to slam it into the part of the Kraken that grabbed her. She crawled back instantly as fear stroke her eyes.

Nicolette watched afraid as the man with the musket she had earlier was grabbed making it fly back onto the helm where it was originally. Before running after it, she started to how scarce the deck was. No one was on it. Nor was no one planning to go on it. Everyone was either dead or dying, she figured. She looked up to see Will struggling to get himself out of the netting.

Nicolette didn't hesitate no longer, she scurried to the helm, dodging anything that came her way. She fell onto her knees on the steps and started to crawl up them quickly. The timer was ticking. She reached for the rifle that was there, when some filthy idiot stepped on it mindlessly.

Was this man insane? The boot had a rough hold on it. She grabbed it annoyed and started pulling at it to get it into her grip. However, when she looked up to see who had the nerve to do this she was annoyed no longer. A smile made its way as Jack looked down at her with the sun gleaming down on him. He gave her a hand to help her up whether to be on her two feet or just sitting there and then took the pistol out from under him.

Jack steadied the musket in his two rough hands as Nicolette clung onto the bottom of his legs. With careful aim and Will finally releasing himself out of the way for the shooting. Jack pulled the trigger and the small round bullet sped to the gunpowder.

Then with the final stretch of time, it almost felt like it stood still. When the bullet hit the netting, the explosion sent the crates and barrels to ignite. The Kraken faltered back and moaned as its tentacles shrunk back to the sea below them. Will looked up as the burnt pieces of wood were thrown all over. Nicolette gulped and stood on her feet, immediately going into Jack's chest as he embraced her tightly into him.

"You didn't really think that I wasn't coming back, did you?" She chuckled sadly as his husky breath hit her ear sweetly. She embraced him back and shook her head no. Deep down though, she thought that. She regretted it now. Not trusting herself to speak at all, she retreated.

Jack tentatively picked up her chin and then kissed her lips sadly. She was caught surprised, and moved her lips along with his only to cause more passion than what she had meant to do. When they parted for a moment, she said to him breathlessly, "I love you. I love you so much."

He replied to her, "I'm sure I love you more." Nicolette glared at him, but when she separated herself from Jack's warmth, she looked around to see the ship. It was all in ruins. Her heart broke and her face had fallen as a tear fell onto her cheek and trailed down further. This was her home. This had been her freedom for a year. A year not long enough. She gulped and her mouth twitched into a frown as she looked over to Jack.

Gibbs looked over the railing with Marty, the same railing where, a week ago they were expressing concern for their Captain's well-being, now they were expressing concerns of their own well-beings. Marty didn't know what to think of it, were they out of it? He looked to Gibbs, whose forehead showed a bigger frown than the one that was on his lips, "Did we kill it?"

He shook his head no, it would be far too easy for it to just die of a mere explosion. He said to him, "No, we just made it angrier." Jack rushed down the stairs of the helm, while Nicolette slowly trailed behind him, continuing to survey the ship. "We're not out of this yet." Gibbs turned to see Jack and shouted, "Captain, orders?"

Jack went to him with the musket in his hand. He handed it roughly into Gibbs' chest. He ordered, "Abandon ship. Into the long boat." Nicolette's face fell at the sound of those words escaping out of his mouth. No, no, they couldn't just leave.

"What?" Her heart was falling as she quickened her pace to catch up to Gibbs' side. Everyone stood in a silence filled with shock and confusion. "Jack," she muttered his name under her breath and it caused Jack to stop. This was hard enough on him already. No need to make it any more worse.

Gibbs was equally shocked as everyone else, "But, Jack, the _Pearl!_"

Nicolette's voice cracked when she spoke to him, "Jack, we know this is hard on you. It's hard on me, too. If you don't want to leave the _Pearl_ it's okay. I'll stay with you, we'll stay with you. We'll continue the fight, there has to be another—." There was another unfortunate flaw in Nicolette, she had the optimism and generosity that could kill herself and others around her.

Jack cut her off before she could continue, "There isn't another way, love. She's only a ship." No, no she wasn't just a ship. Nicolette walked behind Jack, placing a hand on his shoulder as tears fell onto her cheeks. The hurt tone of his voice didn't settle her at all. Nor did it settle anyone else. Jack took her hand gently and turned around, stroking it in smooth circles softly and contently. She didn't understand why he was so content with this, but she noticed in his eyes that he was just far off from being at peace.

Nicolette opened her mouth to speak, when someone's voice stopped her, "He's right." Everyone snapped to Christopher who was looking at everyone dimly. "We have to head for land."

Pintel looked over the railing and onto the open water, "'S a lot o' open water."

Ragetti echoed him, looking over to everyone else rather grimly, "That's a lot o' water."

Will stated to them with a slight bit of optimism, "We got to try. We can get away as it takes down the _Pearl_." Nicolette's face dropped, they were really going to leave her, were they? It was wrong, it felt wrong. But no one else needed to add to the smell of death that was already among them.

Although, it hurt her to say it, she shook her head as Jack kept a steady hold on her hand. She swallowed down most of her tears and stared into Jack's dark eyes, "Abandon ship." It was a way of acceptance that this was the end of the _Black Pearl_ era. But it didn't seem to be the end at all. It almost seemed like it was far from the end of the current era.

Gibbs added on for her, "Abandon ship or abandon hope." She grimaced behind her shoulder to see the crew already getting stuff together for the voyage to land. She sighed and looked to Jack searching his eyes for some kind of answer of why this was happening to them, but he didn't even have one. Jack Sparrow, for once, didn't have any answers for her.

"Jack," she started, Jack locked onto her hazel pair concerned, "we... the _Black Pearl_, is our home. We can't just—."

He interrupted her, "We can and we will, Nicky."

"There has to be another—."

"Trust me, darling," Jack interrupted her again in a more hurt tone. He wished that there was another way. This ship had been through thick and thin with him, but there wasn't. And there wasn't going to be another way. Jack continued, "though, optimism is nice to hear once in a while, sometimes, however, there's no use in hearing it at all. If there were another way. I'd be more than happy to take that way out, but for now, it is clear that there really isn't another way out of this. I'm sorry."

She persuaded further, "Captain goes down with his ship."

"The Captain has more things to look out for other than a ship. Savvy?" Jack replied quickly and then softly kissed her on the forehead. Nicolette wanted them to stay like that forever. Right there, in that exact position. She finally nodded against his touch and the warmth from his lips left her forehead slowly, "Now, I want a smile on that face." She flashed him a fake one that Jack didn't want to see at all. "Nicky, I want a real one. Smile nicely and don't stop," with a finger, he picked up her chin for her to look into his eyes, "it's far too beautiful to be hidden, love."

"Just for you, Captain Sparrow." She gave him a real smile this time and a pinkish blush went faintly on her tanned cheeks to match it. Jack smiled back at her and wiped a falling tear.

"Even in the face of danger I could get you to blush."

"You could always get a blush out of me." She said to him rather sadly and as Jack went to go plant a passionate kiss on her lips, she turned away. Nicolette left to go into the longboat with her eyes closed and weary that she was leaving the home she had come to know. Hesitantly, she looked back at Jack as he grazed his hand on the black railing of the _Pearl_. He heaved a sigh and the smile he left her with slowly faded and she went to board the longboat, almost ready to say goodbye to the ship. She sat there, facing the extending open water silently with tears lacing her cheeks still.

Jack and Elizabeth were the only two that were left, though, Jack didn't seem to notice her. He looked around to see the wooden ship in shambles. It hurt him to see it like that. This ship was his first ship. He had it for more things than he could count. It was like what Nicolette said to him one time, you don't choose the opportunities that are given to you, they choose you. The ship chose him, he didn't choose to have it. The only person that was responsible for giving him that ship was that man, Cutler Beckett, hated him. But he did have to thank him. Because a lot wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for that wretch.

Jack remembered when he painted it black, shortly after he released the slaves in the silver city of Kerma. It was a giant step in his history, and it was what made the _Black Pearl, _the _Black_ _Pearl_. The mast was still in tact, along with the sails. The dreaded creature that Jones had sent didn't destroy those two things. The ship stood still though the black sails were still bellowing their strongest from the wind to try and move anyway.

"Jack?" Elizabeth's voice drew him away from his thoughts and he turned around when he placed his black spotted hand on the mast. Gibbs and Will and Christopher were still loading the longboat, not paying any mind to the two of them. "Thank you." She said to him with a hardened face.

Jack heaved yet another sigh, "We're not through yet, love." His expression made Elizabeth think twice about what she was doing. Was what she was doing in the right way of doing things? Or was it in the wrong? Jones would not stop, and if Jones would not stop that would obviously mean that Jones would send the Kraken after them just to get Jack into the locker where he had thought suitable for him to be.

Elizabeth shook her head no and a smile made its way with a small chuckle. She said to him, "You came back." She moved forward and looked into Jack's eyes. The smile dropped and he looked back into hers with confusion or knowing of what she was about to do, "I always knew you were a good man."

Was he? The words didn't go through Jack's head like any other compliment to him would. Instead, he questioned it. He wanted to see the doubt in her face, in her eyes, which was why he was searching them. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was a puzzle that could not be solved so easily. But when she slowly walked up to him and gently kissed him with a force that questioned her honour for Will, he knew that he had solved the puzzle of Elizabeth Swann. The Governor's daughter that he had saved a year ago.

The forcefulness made Jack stagger and hit the mast of his ship. He kissed back and as their lips moved, Jack found Elizabeth being the more predictable out of the two of them. Will was stacking the longboat and taking whatever Gibbs was to give him down the line. When Gibbs moved for a moment, that was when he had caught the sight that was truly like a wooden stake to his heart.

Was that right? Elizabeth never _really_ showed affection toward Jack, did she? Will suddenly found himself questioning everything that was a part of their relationship. That was the woman he was betrothed to. Betrothed to be married, no less, nothing more. Now he found his fiancé as a stranger, someone that he barely knew.

"Prepare to cast off. There's no time to lose." Will didn't budge though. He stood faltered on the ladder trying to sort out his mind to wrap his head around it all. Gibbs' voice split his hearing once more, "Come on, Will! Step to!" Will reluctantly climbed in the longboat slowly and took his seat next to Nicolette who, like him, was contemplating all that was going through her mind at the moment and mindlessly looking at the open water.

Christopher sat across the two of them, and tapped his foot impatiently as they were waiting for two more. "What in the bloody hell are they doing?" Nicolette looked at her brother who was asking her the question, she only shrugged. Like she actually knew or cared what the two were doing. Will didn't hear it. "I'll get them." They didn't stop Christopher as he went up the ladder to fetch them.

_Snap._ Jack heard a shackle locking around his wrist from Elizabeth going around his belt to get around it. He was shackled to the mast. The manacle was tight around his wrist and Elizabeth stood inches away from a grinning face of him admiring what she had become. He somehow knew that she would hit the highest compliment in his eyes. The two of them were strangely alike in more than one way. Two peas in a pod. They were annoyingly alike, but what she had done was something that he actually wouldn't do.

Inches away, she was. Christopher's face fell when he noticed Jack's wrist chained, he watched intently, and heard the words spoken harshly from Elizabeth.

"It's after you not the ship." She said to him in a cold whisper that could make even the coldest winter in London shiver. Jack felt iciness from it, but nevertheless still held his smug, toothy grin that stretched ear to ear. "It's not us." It wasn't them. _Thank you, Lizzie._ He thought to himself, she made it a hundred percent more easier than he thought this would be. Captain goes down with his ship. How true. She continued, "So this is the only way, don't you see?" Elizabeth looked down at his lips and went to lean in to kiss him again, but stopped herself. "I'm not sorry."

Jack's smile faltered into a smirk and out of the corner of his eye he saw the little watch bird looking at them intently. His eyes glittered with utter frankness and indecipherable truth. The next word out of his mouth would be what Elizabeth had become to him. Just another one of those squabbling, rum soaked pirates that she called the lot of them before on the Isla Cruces. Elizabeth waited for him to say something that was what he thought about what she had done, she knew that Jack didn't mind saying what was on his mind.

But the word that escaped, scared her, "Pirate." His word was meant as a compliment, something to leave her with his admiration of her. But she didn't take it like that at all. Christopher noticed her coming alone, but she didn't notice him yet. He quickly went down to take his same seat again.

Nicolette noticed his discomfort and asked him, "Well, are they coming?"

Christopher looked up at her nervously and nodded. He lied to her as Elizabeth was making her way reluctantly down, "Yes, they both are."

Nic nodded to him as Elizabeth sat down across from Will. Her face fallen when she realized that Jack was taking his time coming down. They didn't have time to take their time. They had to go. Why was he taking so long? She looked up at the ship's ladder, waiting for Jack, but to her dismay, he didn't seem like he was coming.

Will asked what was on everyone's mind, except Christopher's since he already knew. "Where's Jack?" He looked away still in discomfort and trying to understand what he had just seen. It didn't make sense at all. Everyone seemed to have their eyes on Elizabeth's guilty face, except Chris. Nicolette looked at her with her eyebrow arched.

She replied, looking only at Will, "He elected to stay behind to give us a chance." Nicolette's face fell even further and she looked around at everyone on the longboat having their shocked expressions plastered on their face.

Nicolette shook her head no, this was not happening. "What?" She might have not heard that correctly. Though, Elizabeth's voice was very clear in her eyes, she still thought that her hearing might have been a little bit unclear. But Elizabeth only looked at her compassionately and mouthed, 'I'm so sorry.' Christopher grimaced and tried not to blow up, he begged to differ from that judging the cold words said that he had heard her say before.

She shook her head, "No, he can't." She muttered under her breath and looked to the ship's ladder with tears starting to fall out of her eyes. She promised, she promised to stay with him. Something was wrong, she felt it. "Jack!" She shouted up the deck, she didn't hear a word back. Nicolette went to the ladder and started to climb her way up. "Jack!" She shouted even louder. Still no answer.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Nic felt a strong pair of arms restraining her from going any further and she struggled in the man's hold to go back to where she was going. "Jack!" Her voice cracked when she felt her head go into someone's chest. She shook her head no. This couldn't be happening, could it?

She called again and tried to break out of the hold that had her, "Let go of me! Jack!" Elizabeth looked at her apologetically. What had she done? She looked around at the crew's shocked expression. They weren't doing anything at all. They weren't moving, nor were they planning to stay with Jack.

Nicolette noticed as well, and she looked at Gibbs, "Gibbs?" Gibbs looked at her with shock crossing his face. Nicolette gulped and yelled, "Gibbs, do something!" She looked around the crew of the _Black Pearl, _they weren't doing anything. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do something! All of you, God damn it! That's your..." she didn't finish, she realized something. Did he take what she told him to mind? Captain goes down with his ship. No, he couldn't... He was so... heavy footed. She finished, looking back at Gibbs, "Gibbs, that's your Captain up there! That's Jack, your friend!"

Still no movement. She looked at him annoyed and actually tried once more to go up there as the tears fell down one by one. She didn't want to shout any more feeling her voice becoming hoarse, but when she tried again, she felt Will bring her down. "Nic, leave him."

"We have no time!" Elizabeth shouted at all of them before looking down guilty again. "Go!" She ordered and Gibbs along with everyone else snapped out of their state.

Nicolette looked at them all in disbelief, "No!" They couldn't leave! She had stay with him. She had to. Christopher looked at his sister and sighed heavily as she looked at them with a hateful glare and pout. His heart breaking even more. "We can't just leave him." However, the movement from the boat told her otherwise. She couldn't do this. But instead of shouting up at him, or trying to be with him, she gave up. She forcibly gave it all up.

Will's arms had Nicolette locked onto him and she sobbed into his shoulder as the longboat continued to row. Christopher looked at his sister with a deep frown, but he didn't say anything nor did he do anything. Will looked up and noticed it, he commented to Christopher, "Nice to know that your brother is doing something." Daggers to Christopher. But Nicolette didn't hear his harsh words toward him or feel Christopher's hurt gaze on her. He never wanted to see his sister like that, ever. He turned to Elizabeth and saw her continuing to look down nervously onto her bloody hands.

Elizabeth didn't know if the blood was washable. She wasn't sure if they would ever get clean.

* * *

**_It's a Lady Macbeth saying, the bloody hand thing. That's where I got it from when I was studying it. Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'm letting you know what happens ahead of time. The next chapter will be half in Jack's POV, like his first person POV, its sort of going to be like his final thoughts and stuff like that. And there is going to be around four chapters left and I'm hopefully going to be done writing the story before school ends. I started writing AWE already and the first chapter is already done. You'll all will be shocked about the turn of events in it, trust me. But I'm not going to say anything about it! You just have to wait and see ;). I hope I can update very soon for you._**

**_Review?_**


	22. Heartbeat

_**Can you believe that there are two chapters left of Yesterday? I can't. Lol, seems like, uh, yesterday when I posted the first chapter D:. Like I said, I did do the Jack first person POV and I have to say, that I grammar checked that part like a policeman. I wanted it perfect, lol. Like any other elements of the chapter. And I changed to original chapter name to a better name... it was going to be his final line in the movie, but I changed my mind. So, here it is. I hope you all enjoy it, and if you think that it's sad, I have a box of tissues if you want one.**_

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_Chapter Twenty-Two: Heartbeat_

Elizabeth Swann. Daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann and the fiancé of one, William Turner. She is also a murderess that is walking away from me at the moment. I stand here, manacled to this, this long, tall black mast of a ship that has been with me through everything. So while I watch her go and leave me alone, I think to myself, how charming she is. Though, not charming enough. Peas in a pod, we are. She's a woman that would do anything to get what she wants while I'm a man who works on his own selfish impulse. My smile never leaves. I admire that in a woman, the day she had burned me rum to get us found by the Navy she had become a puzzle. Now that the puzzle is solved, there is no words to describe how much success I think I just achieved.

Good man. I doubt that. I am far from that. I am a pirate and for a pirate to be called a good man is the worst kind of insult that one could muster up. Well, that's what I believe. "No." Her faint voice is what I hear and my smug smile finally falls. Nicky. "Jack!" One single shout makes me look down at my manacled hand and makes me change me mind completely. I am not ready to go just yet. As long as she is alive, I think I'll never be. My heart drops when I hear her again, "Jack, what are you doing?"

I somehow can picture her, tears straining down her face and her cheeks puffy and red along with her hazel eyes. She's climbing to get to the ship, to be with me. Nicolette keeps what she promises, this is the only one thing that she promised that can be broken easily. My lips part, I remember everything, I remember what we've been through. The funniest memory of them all that happen to show up randomly, is when Gibbs smuggled in a dog, Nicolette's allergic and she finds him below deck getting me rum. She looked adorable sick. She looked sickly adorable with that smile and blush of embarrassment when I found her.

Now, imagine her coming aboard the ship, she will kill me before the Kraken comes, or rather, she will give me a tongue lashing that will put others to shame. Knowing Elizabeth, she probably said that it was me who wanted to stay behind and leave them to survive. Like a sacrifice. Maybe that would make me a good man... no, why do I keep thinking about those bloody two words?

She's yelling at Gibbs, Marty, and Pintel and Ragetti, poor men. I feel bad that they have to face her scorned wrath. I witnessed it before. Knowing them, they probably have no idea what to do as of right now. Hell, I don't think I would. Once I feel the longboat, and yes, I can feel them push off the ship, I look back at my manacled hand and shake my head. _Jackie, how are ye going to get out of this one now?_ No, not that voice, get that damn voice out of my head. The last thing I need is Teague haunting my bloody mind! I try not to scowl at it.

I take matters in my own hands, literally. With my free hand, I grip the chain and shake. And shake. And shake. "Bugger. Bugger. Bugger. Bugger. Bugger." Get off! Get off! Damn thing! My final shakes are done. This isn't one of my best plans and if I want to get away _now_ is the time. Or it isn't. I feel the Kraken around me, like I felt the longboat leaving. It is a tease to me. Am I going to die though?

Strange, they say life flashes before your very eyes, well, a lot has happened in me life and that is proving to be improbable at the moment to show the whole thing. There has to be a way to get out of these bloody irons. I turn to see a lantern not that far away from me. I feel a smirk make its way, yes, the wax! I unsheathe my cutlass and lean the furthest that I can go to. It should work, come on, come to Jack. If only I could, ah-huh! The lantern latches on to it easily and I raise it up, this should work splendidly.

I break the lantern on the mast and then move my cutlass with it over my wrist and watch the wax drip a drop at a time. I could smile. But now my strength would be put to the test. I pull the hardest I have ever pulled at something. Grunts, groans, moans, even with those, the sounds of aggravation, I can't seem to find a way out of this. I even try using my leg as a way to help me. Once my hand starts slipping, the ship tilts. I stop for a moment and look around to see barrels and other things that are insignificant at the moment to me roll pass.

This is not good. I try not to gape, I have limited time now. Focus. I focus back onto what I am doing, getting out to escape. Captain Jack Sparrow, the man who escaped the devil, it has a nice ring to it if you think about it. And that was all on my mind. I grunt as my hand slips slowly out, moving my black ring slightly. Just a little more. Come on. Come on. Yes! I slip out my hand from its tight confinement and look at it with my smile going ear to ear. It seems to be getting better now. Right?

I turn to make an exit, but how little did I know that while I was trying to get out, the Kraken closed in and now I am face to face with the beastie itself. I gulp and my smile falls, oh. It stays in silence with me, silence, and for once, it is practically a foreshadowing of death as a breeze flies by. I wait a few moments and the Kraken waits as well, he is such a tease to me. Do it quickly, please. Do it now. And as if the beastly thing has heard my exact thoughts, the Kraken roars in front of me as its tentacles surface on my ship. He shows me all the teeth he has and all of the mucus and spit he has muster up to spit out at me.

It all flies onto my face and I close my eyes bracing myself for the horrible stench of the thousand rotting corpses I hear so much about. His breath isn't as bad as I imagine actually. I comment, "Not so bad." Gibbs exaggerated to me, it really isn't bad, I smelt nothing close to a thousand, but I really can't find the exact estimate.

I wipe off snot and then look down to see a familiar object. My hat! Another image of Nicolette comes to mind, her with the crown from Isla de Muerta, and me with my hat acting as my crown. "Oh." I am quite glad that it has a way like a boomerang. It always seemed to come back to me. I bend over and pick it up, putting on top of my head. Now, I really feel that I am _Captain _Jack Sparrow. Much better.

Captain goes down with his ship. The truest statement ever said, and being the true Captain of the _Black Pearl_ it only seems fit that it is me and only me that goes down with her. Nicolette Brown, it isn't her time. William Turner, isn't his time as well. Elizabeth Swann, definitely not hers. And the others, no, they don't deserve the same punishment like me for my stupid decision. If I am going down, I _am_ going down with a fight.

Now feeling who I _really_ am, I smirk smugly at the beast that plans on killing me off. "Hello beastie." It curdles and moves with yet another roar and any other coward would go cower in a corner or now being free will jump off the other side and let it take down the _Pearl_. But, death, has a way with shaping ones priorities. Now, I don't mind it. It is the right thing to do, maybe I am the good man that Elizabeth called me before. She didn't realize though, that it is finally going to be accepted. I unsheathe my sword yet again and go into a stance, though I know that I am going to die, I am going to make it an effort.

My cutlass is high above my head and is pointed straight at the monster's mouth. When the beast leans forward to get me, time stays still and all I hear is my heartbeat still throbbing strongly against my chest. Time definitely has to be standing still, but once I think that, the Kraken moves slower in my mind. It's playing tricks with me like everything else. My body feels like its moving slower, too, but my heartbeat is still throbbing strongly and quickly.

When the tentacles seem to guide me close to the thing's mouth, I slash my cutlass in an effort to kill it. But almost immediately, I am in the dark. But I still feel it beating. Moments later, I open my eyes, I am on my _Pearl_ with a blue sky extending to nowhere. I look over the railing, no water. Sand. All of it. Sand is all I see. I don't even feel the wind in my hair any longer. I look around again, this isn't heaven. Nor is it hell. This is my punishment extending on forever. The Locker of Davy Jones.

When far enough, the longboat came to a stop as Pintel and Ragetti looked behind their shoulders to see the _Pearl _to be wrapped once again, this time there was no fight that they could see. Everyone in the longboat looked at it with their eyes growing weary and their frowns becoming imprinted on their faces. Will kept his strong hold, still, around Nicolette as she continued to sob. She was the only person who chose not to look.

Though, the roar of the waves crashing as the _Black Pearl_ became part of its depth made her pick her chin up to stare at it sadly. She shook her head in denial, Jack. Jack was on that. Her hand went to her black trinket and she felt her heart beating slowly. She felt dead. She felt alone. She needed the magic genie from a year ago to giver her her wish. _Rub, Nicolette, please, we need him_. She thought. But as much as she rubbed and tried, there was doubt that he wasn't going to show his smug smirk peeking out of the water to show his survival.

Before going back into Will's shoulder she mumbled, "Guess, you've done all you wanted." No one heard.

* * *

The longboat rowed continuously, the journey seemed longer than it was. The mouth of the bayou was dark and eerie, it didn't feel like home to any of them, but it felt like the only place that they could go. Nicolette looked around, seeing dark faces only to be lit up by a candle they were holding in mourning of someone's passing. She would think that they weren't mourning Jack, but someone else. But the eyes that were glued onto her tear strained face told her otherwise. She didn't want people to look at her. There was no point in looking at her. The last thing she needed was sympathy.

Christopher never stopped staring at his hands, they were trembling. Maybe from knowing something that Nicolette didn't know was actually hard to deal with. Elizabeth next to him, felt the tension of the boat, half that tension was caused by him though she didn't know what it was. Nicolette seemed so torn, she remained silent, her voice was not heard and no one made an effort in trying to talk to her. When her brother or Will tried she pushed them away, she didn't need someone to talk to. There really was no point in trying either.

Her tears were dry, there were no more to shed. So she thought. She couldn't try any longer and she still had Will with his arm around her, rubbing her back in smooth circles like their awkward moments they had with each other had suddenly vanished. Her eyes were still shining, though, she just couldn't let them out. Nicolette always hid her feelings until she met Jack and she now felt her character shrink back to the reserved smithy's daughter that everyone didn't pay mind to, not the pirate that she had become.

Tia's shack came before them at the end, it was at least two weeks ago since they were last here, but it seemed much different from the last time. Everyone's eyes were different, as were the character. Nicolette stepped out first, taking a rope to tie it to the post when a hand stopped her. She looked up to see Ragetti looking down at her with his wooden and real eyes. The man who had no problem slashing a sword at her a year before, was now the man who couldn't take her sadness and anger. As she slowly retreated her hand, he tied it for her.

Nicolette turned around to see Tia Dalma standing by her door looking at the surviving crew of the _Black Pearl_ sympathetically. She didn't mind it as much as she minded it with the random people in the waist high water. Tia gestured for them all to come in at the top of the stairs and reluctantly, they did. Christopher trailed behind pack, where Elizabeth as well was walking with her head slumped and her back hunched.

When she made it to the top of the stairs that was before the door of the shack, Christopher's hand landed on her shoulder. He stopped her and she turned around to face him slowly, she wasn't at all prepared for what she was about to hear.

"I don't ever want to see my sister like that again." His voice was cold and harsh, not at all what Elizabeth expected to come out of his mouth.

She swallowed down her pride and stated to him, "I don't seem to know what you mean. You're looking at the wrong person." She went to walk in again, but Christopher's hand had a steady grip on her shoulder.

"I know you know what I mean. And I am not talking to the wrong person. I saw it. All of it." Elizabeth's face fallen, oh God. Christopher didn't wait for her response. He went on, "You shackled Jack to the _Pearl._ Did you not think about what was going to happen next? Did you not predict the hysterics of my sister... of your friend?"

"Chris, I had no choice. If he would stay alive, be alive at this very moment, Jones wouldn't stop. The Kraken would just follow us, don't you see?"

She had a point. The Kraken would definitely still follow them and Jones would still try and get to Jack. He never gave up in getting debts settled, and Sparrow would be no exception. Christopher stated to her, "You have a point."

"The Kraken was after _him_." Elizabeth replied, it hurt her to do what she had done. Especially seeing Nicolette like that, she didn't mean for that to happen. She gulped down the tears starting to overwhelm her once more, "It wasn't at all after the _Pearl._ We wouldn't be able to fight Jones off, on or off land. He would've just not rest until he got what he wanted." She convinced herself that she sort of did it as a favour toward them. But did favours usually give off the feeling that she was beginning to have in the pit of her stomach? Did they usually make her grieve and regret from what she had done?

"You're right, but it would be nice if you tell people what you plan to prevent stuff like this. I get what you are saying, but I don't think that she would. Or Will would. Or Gibbs, or Marty, or anyone else."

Elizabeth looked forward, she didn't know what to do about that. She would do anything to get Jack back, anything. To quench the guilt in her, she really would. It was too painful for it to be kept there. She grimaced at Christopher, "Are you going to tell her?"

"That's something you are going to tell her." He stated to her.

"What about Will? Or anyone else?" Christopher looked down, to be honest, he really didn't care about the others, they weren't on the side of the face as him at the moment. He just realized, that if he was good friends with all of them, this secret he was going to be keeping, wouldn't be kept. "Will wouldn't forgive me. And it isn't his burden to bear."

Christopher looked back at Elizabeth and asked, "Why is it even any of Will's business?" Elizabeth only shackled him to the mast, she didn't do anything else... right? Elizabeth was taken back, he just said that he saw what had happened. Christopher cocked his eyebrow, how did she exactly do that? "How did you do it exactly, Elizabeth?"

"I thought..." she trailed off, she thought that he already knew. "You said that you already saw it."

"I must've only saw half of it then."

Elizabeth didn't know how to tell him that. If she told him, then would he still tell Nicolette? She didn't want her to know, not yet anyway. She knew that Nicolette, Will, and the others were bound to find out what had really happened, which was what scared her. Elizabeth sighed and softly she replied with her voice shaky, "If Nic must know about this some day, I would want to be the one to tell her. I don't want you to go tell her or anyone else."

Christopher's frown fell even deeper, he asked her, "Is it that bad?" Elizabeth didn't answer back, which only meant to Christopher that it was _more_ than bad. In fact, it only meant one thing that she could've done. Why didn't he see this earlier when he asked her why it was Will's business? It had everything to do with him and it had everything to do with his sister. Chris looked at her for a moment in disbelief, "You kissed him to get him shackled, didn't you?"

Elizabeth's breath became shaky and she didn't know how to respond to him. She quickly glanced down and when she inhaled a sharp breath, she quickly walked into the shack leaving Christopher to stand alone on the ladder of Tia Dalma's shack, staring inside in shock. He promised not to tell Nicolette, but was that right? One foot at a time, he walked into the voodoo woman's home, taking in the familiar surroundings. Elizabeth was now sitting on a stool as Nicolette sat in a deep corner that was by the woman's storage area.

Christopher never let his eyes move away from Elizabeth. He was so puzzled. He had no idea that she was capable of this. Elizabeth connected eyes with him and they grew softer and shinier. Chris decided that she was right, it would be her responsibility to tell them all... not his. But it would definitely be difficult hiding the truth of it all. The dark woman was no where in sight at the moment and he stood at the doorway, separating his confused gaze with Elizabeth to look down at the ground nervously.

Nicolette's hands were trembling, as were her shoulders. She didn't realize until now without someone's hold on her she was shaking continuously. There wasn't even a way to stop it. Nic's hand went to her black jewel and she kept on twisting the chain and playing with it as her eyes slowly closed. Jack was right, before he didn't seem to be, but right now... she could feel him around, feel the breath on her neck, feel his warmth on her skin, even feel the kiss that he had left her last on her forehead.

She even had to open her eyes again to make sure that he wasn't there. Once she opened her eyes, she saw a tray of mugs with a warm liquid in it. Nicolette hoped it to be rum, she could use some at the moment. She doubted it, though. She declined Tia at first, "No," the first words she had spoken since Jack's death, "I really mustn't." Christopher's eyes felt heavy hearing his sister's shaky voice for the first time, it was soft and inaudible.

Tia shook her head no, "Ye really must, child. It will help ya." Nic looked up at her and nodded, taking a mug in her hand and holding it silently, feeling the warmth on her skin. Tia Dalma then went to Elizabeth who was the same way it seemed, the two women, like everyone else, were silent. Not even their shallow breathing was heard. The only sound was Tia's voice and the constant pounding of Will's father's knife against the wood of the table he was sitting at. Elizabeth declined her mug as well, but Tia wasn't having it.

"Against the cold. And the sorrow." She said to her. Now Elizabeth had no other choice but to take it now. She took it in her hand to satisfy her and then watched as she left her alone to give the other survivors some as well. Elizabeth slowly took a sip while staying focused on her thoughts. Each of them took a mug in their hands and then Tia went to Will who was staring at the knife his father given him, he was unsuccessful in getting the heart, and he didn't know his fiancé any longer based off of what he saw back there. Tia Dalma knew immediately, she crouched down with the tray as she offered the last mug and said to him, "It's a shame. I know you be thinking that with the _Pearl,_ you could have caught the devil and set free your father's soul."

Will with a final strike at the wood replied, "It doesn't matter. The _Pearl's_ gone... along with its captain." He reluctantly took the mug of whatever was in there in his hand and when he was going to take a sip, Gibbs said the few things that he had said since the death.

"Aye," he turned back into the shack after looking out into the darkness of the island of Cuba and Pantano River. He continued, "And already the world seems less bright."

"The world became a scale of black and white." Nicolette muttered taking a sip out of her own and then felt the hot tears she thought were over and done with hit her cheeks softly. Will looked over at her apologetically.

Gibbs continued on after her, "Fooled us all, right to the end, but that streak of honesty finally won out." Nicolette tried to smile sadly at that, Jack had the never-ending honour streak about him. It was what made Jack, well, Jack. Loyalty was important to him... so important. So important that he would be lost without it. The words hit Elizabeth hard, it wasn't Jack's choice to stay. But when she kissed him, she didn't realize that he wanted it. He _wanted_ to stay with the ship. He _knew_ the consequences very well if he decided to leave. He was just conflicted, confused on what to do, which way to go. Elizabeth made it easier for him to decide.

Gibbs raised his cup in honour, "To Jack Sparrow!"

"Ain't no other man like Captain Jack." Ragetti added, he seemed just as upset.

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was." Pintel added, his voice hoarse.

"He was a good and loyal Captain, one of which I respect." Christopher said, shocking some, but no one showed it.

Elizabeth raised her shaking, "He was a good man."

Nicolette's turn, she didn't raise hers though, she kept it close. "He was..." what was he to her? Everything. But he could only be one thing. She gained it back, "He was just Jack Sparrow." Will seemed like he was going to say something on his behalf, but didn't. Everyone took a sip out of what they have, except Elizabeth who looked grimly into hers, unsure how to drink it for now. Will looked back at her, he couldn't stand seeing her like that. To him, it almost seemed that Elizabeth was in love with him. Was she in love with Jack?

It didn't matter though, although, he did feel his heart breaking piece by piece, he couldn't stand it. Not only was it her, but the woman who had always been a sister in his life for the past nine years was acting the same way... The two women he cared about were grieving, and it was hurting him so much to just watch it. "If," he started, "if there was anyway to bring him back."

Elizabeth seemed to look up at him with hope, she would do anything. Will heaved a sigh, "Elizabeth—."

Tia Dalma took a step in front of him with her eyes lighting up jubilantly, "Would you do it?" Do what? Nicolette looked up at her with the same kind of hope Elizabeth had. But how Tia's tone sounded, it worried her to hear it. She didn't want to hear it like _that_. Tia looked over at her, catching her gaze full of hope, "What would you do? Hmm?" She thought it was meant to be answered, but then Tia whirled around to face everyone else, "What would any of you do? Hmm?" Everyone started to look at her like she was crazy now, she continued with a smile broadening and her eyes getting brighter, "Will you sail to the end of the earth and beyond, to fetch back Witty Jack and the precious _Pearl_?"

For a long moment, there was a pause of faith and confusion _and_ contemplating whether or not if this was reality. Was she actually suggesting for them to go to the locker to get Jack himself? Nicolette stood up, throwing down her empty mug to cause attention toward her. "I'm willing." She stated, wiping a tear from her eye. Some might think this to be absolutely absurd, but who said that Nicolette Brown was the most sane person in the world? She was far from it and she was willing to do anything to be in Jack's arms once more.

Gibbs was next, looking straight at Nicolette with a smile of faith tugging, "Aye!"

Christopher looked to him and nodded, then looking at Tia Dalma he said, "Aye!"

Ragetti stated, "Aye!"

Pintel stood up proudly like everyone else with their chests out strongly, "Aye!"

Marty jumped off the barrel and stated with a squawk of agreement from Cotton, "Aye!"

There were two that were missing and all eyes furrowed on either Elizabeth or Will, who so far didn't give their consent on the venture. Elizabeth slowly nodded, it was she ever wanted. The guilt of hers would be sure to be washed away, "...yes."

Will looked to her and nodded, to get a smile out of the woman he loved, of course. But not only that, he would continue what he had started with Jones. He looked to Tia Dalma, "Aye."

Tia was pleased and her face showed it, "Very well. But if you are to brave the weird and haunted shawls at world's end..." the pause made Nicolette weary, and she looked over through the blurriness of her eyes to see a barrel full of green apples. Her eyebrow raised, that barrel wasn't there before. "Then you'll be needing a Captain, that knows those waters." Pounding of boots were heard next to her and she looked over to see the familiar boots she had seen before the first time she was here. She backed up into Elizabeth who was standing up curiously to see who was going to help them.

Nicolette's eyes were glued, seeing all of the familiar things, the boots, the breeches, the long jacket, even the screech of the undead monkey that was on the man's shoulder. She shook her head in denial, the atrocious hat and the atrocious man that it belonged to came down with Jack the monkey on his shoulder. "Impossible."

Gibbs said next to her, "Improbable." Nicolette didn't catch it, her eyes were on Captain Hector Barbossa who was holding the green apple in his hand. It seemed to be the exact same green apple that had fallen out of his hand on Isla de Muerta, the exact one that Nicolette thought to loose colour like how his pale skin was loosing colour.

Barbossa enjoyed seeing everyone's shocked expression, especially of the mutt's. "So, tell me, what's become of my ship?" Nicolette's breath hitched as she saw the wretch man take a bite out of his apple and then having to hear the malicious laugh that soon came after. It almost scared her along with the envious coloured apple that he could now eat and enjoy for himself.

Christopher was the one who asked her the dreaded question that was the last one she wanted to hear, "Who is that man?"

Her voice cold and shallow, she muttered with her voice cracking, "Hector Barbossa."

* * *

_**Barbossa is back... dun, dun, dunnn. Christopher confronted Elizabeth, do you think that it's right for him to keep that little secret from everyone? And how do you think that Nicolette is going to act when Barbossa offers his hand for help? Let me know ;). Like I updated this fast, I hope I can update fast again. **_

_**Review?**_

_**P.S. Anyone else excited for Stranger Tides, this week? All I see is the trailer and I can't wait!**_


	23. Siding

_**Hello all! I just came back from OST and I got to tell you all that it was so good. You all won't be disappointed. I promise, but I won't be giving anything away about it. So, I couldn't sleep and I was about to finish this chapter tomorrow, since I'm taking a day off from school, but I decided I might as well do it now even though it's like 4:30 in the am! So, here is the second to last chapter :( Hope you all enjoy it. (Might be sad again, I still have tissues if you want them.) **_

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Three: Siding_

Barbossa came down the steps and glorified himself in their surprised expressions. Nicolette looked him up and down, she wasn't crying no longer, but she felt her blood begin to boil. She shook her head, "No. Not going to happen." Before people could look at her, she stormed out of the hut annoyed with her head slumming down. She took in a shaky breath while looking down into the murky water, seeing her reflection. She walked down the stairs slowly and sat down on the short porch that was wooden at the bottom of Tia Dalma's shack. She stared at it. What had happened to her? Only a few hours since his death and already she felt like a completely different person. With her finger, Nic lightly touched it to disturb the calm swampy water. She shook her head and looked around, the people with the candles were still standing in the water.

Christopher looked around at everyone, "What's wrong with him helping us?" He asked, not having a clue on what was going on with his sister. "He doesn't seem like a bad guy. A little atrocious looking, but nevertheless he seems nice."

Will went to answer him, but Barbossa looked at him with a smirk developing. A smirk that told Chris otherwise that he was nothing close to that. Barbossa spoke to him, "You're a good judge in character, boy. I have a sense of generosity and fair play. Now I don't think I had the pleasure in meeting with you?" Will looked at him along with everyone else puzzled when he heard generosity and fair play out of Barbossa.

Christopher begged to differ now. Though, he suddenly lost his trust in the rather ugly Captain, he told him his name, "Christopher Brown. Nicolette's older brother." Barbossa's smirk fell, another one?

"A cur to go along with the mutt?" He commented with a scowl at Christopher's taken back glare. Who was the mutt? Christopher looked to Will for answers.

"Barbossa called Nic a mutt last year and she took it as him calling her a dog."

"But a mutt can mean an assortment of other things other than dog." Christopher said to him. And then looked to Captain Barbossa who was still scowling at him. He added, "And I am not a cur. You don't even know me well enough to call me that."

He scoffed and Will confronted Barbossa, his voice seemingly annoyed, "Who do you think you are? Waltzing in here and expecting us to let you help. Jack shot you in Isla de Muerta, I watched you die before my very eyes, how are you in front of me as of now?"

Barbossa's smile made it back and he looked to William Turner, the man who in fact was the man that partially caused his suffering for years. He said to him, "Strange, how things have a way with coming back, isn't it, Master Turner? I did die in front of you, how I am here now is not any of your business as much as I'm concerned. Jack did shoot me, I did die, and now I'm back. The supernatural has odd ways of nature, Mr. Turner. And those odd ways of nature are what had brought me here." He laughed and took another bite of his apple. The juice dripped down onto its beard.

Will shook his head, outraged, "I can't believe this."

"Well, believe it, whelp. I am to be the only shot that ye all have in rescuing him." He replied calmly. Like Nicolette, Will had to get out of the sudden stench that Barbossa was laying upon them. He went to leave to talk to Nic, but a hand was held out to stop him. Remembering the comment he said earlier, Christopher looked at him unnerved and with a glare.

He stated through his teeth, "Let her _real_ brother do something for once." Will looked at him for a moment and then remembered what he had said on the longboat... he didn't mean that. Will gulped, embarrassed that his anger got the best of him before and took a step back, gesturing to Christopher that it was now his time to take up a role he hadn't taken up in fifteen, no, sixteen years.

Christopher let out a warming smile and took his hand back before walking slowly outside of the shack. He found Nicolette slouching at the end of the dock. He stood there for a moment, just watching her. He was _new_ to this. He was _new_ to comforting someone, pushing twenty-nine, he never had. He'd always run out the door before he actually had to. Nicolette didn't sense someone watching her. She was so lost in her thoughts. Her eyes still shined, but she no longer shed a tear. She didn't at all show how angry she was that Barbossa was their _only_ hope in getting Jack. Though it wasn't said in front of her, she knew that he was their only hope. Nicolette couldn't help but to admit, that she felt like she was like this before. Mourning over someone at the edge of the docks. She felt like she was in Port Royal again.

After contemplating what to say, her brother slowly walked behind her with his mind and stomach twirling. He was begging himself not to say the wrong thing. _No, I'm not going to_, he told himself the whole way. It also felt weird that he was motivating himself on the way as well. Christopher no longer could contemplate it, he was getting closer, which in his case, was good. When he reached the edge where Nicolette sat, he sat down next to her. Nicolette still didn't notice. She never took her eyes off of the not-so-familiar face of hers looking back.

It was a long pause of silence, Nicolette still didn't notice him and Christopher didn't know how to start. Another face showed up next to hers in the unclear water and startled, Nicolette looked over next to her with a jump to see Christopher there. "Don't you ever do that to me." She stated calmly to him, though her breathing was slightly uneven from the fright she received.

Christopher said to her, "Hello to you, too. I see why you stormed out of there." Nicolette cocked her eyebrow at him as he continued, "That man is annoying and cruel, it seems. He called you a mutt and me a cur. Do we come from a family of dogs, I wonder?"

"Father can be considered one." She joked sadly to him with a small chuckle, it was the first time Christopher had heard a chuckle escape out of someone that night. No matter how sorrowful it sounded. It almost made him smile. He remembered his mother being like that, during the worst situation, she would always somehow manage to smile or joke. That was why he looked up to her more than he had with his father. Nicolette's face soon fallen into a frown though. She stated to him, "I'm not discouraged by that. The man is a cur himself, hate him. I wouldn't even care if he had fallen in the hands of the devil and rotted."

"He called you a mutt?" Christopher asked about the rumour he had heard in there, he danced around the subject of Jack. It was sensitive and he thought it to be too soon. Well if it were him in her shoes, and De—... Deborah? Why was he suddenly thinking of her? He shook her name out of his head, but somehow, he wondered what have become of her since they parted. Not only that, but what would happen if her fate of death was the same of Jack's? They didn't bloody know each other and yet he was still wondering! What in the world was going through his head? He didn't want to know. _Focus, Chris, think of Nic, not the wench you bedded, _he told himself.

Nicolette nodded and she replied shortly and through her teeth, "Yes."

"You know," Christopher started to her, trying to brighten her spirit that was currently down at the moment, "mutt, can mean many other things other than dog. Like you're a mutt, in race, you're a mutt in..." he trailed off, not sure of another thing it could be used as. He thought of one that was out of the ordinary and far off, "clothing?" His tone was unsure and debated if that could be used as that sort of context. He doubted it, his mind at the moment was like the water. Cloudy.

Nic looked over at him in disbelief. Jack, along the lines, said the same thing. She smiled sadly at him and laughed hard-heartedly, responding the same way she had with him, "He meant dog." Chris was stunned to hear yet another sound of laughter from her, but he could hear the hurt in it. He didn't _want _to smile at that. Nicolette added to him, "Funny, Jack said the same thing to me when the mutt incident occurred."

Chris didn't even know that was where the half-hearted laugh came from. His face fallen further, he somehow ended up bringing Jack up indirectly. _Stupid, Jack has everything to do with anything with the girl. _Christopher questioned it to make sure he heard that correctly, "He did?" Nicolette smirked sadly and nodded. "Oh..." He had to change the subject... again. He tried once more, getting back to Barbossa, but once again he brought up Jack, "Barbossa says that he is our only shot to do what we have to do."

Nicolette nodded again, her smirk falling. She replied softly, looking forward at the never-ending bayou, "I wouldn't doubt it."

Christopher said to her, "Well, are you happy about that?"

"Of course not." She muttered, the last person that she would like to help them is Captain Hector Barbossa. The man was a menace. Surely, when they get Jack, he would try to make off with the _Pearl_. But to her there was something more. She never forgotten, the first time upon arriving to Tia Dalma's shack she saw articles that were familiar. All of what Barbossa was currently wearing in front of them. Something wasn't right. She knew Barbossa to be one of the pirate lords, she knew all the pirate lords from her readings. There were nine, Captaine Chevalle of the Mediterranean,the one Chris knew as well and hated for the death of Greene, Ammand the Corsair of the Black Sea, Mistress Ching of the Pacific, Villanueva of Spain (whom she met once in Tortuga, finding drunk Gibbs once in his piggery) of the Adriatic, Gentleman Jocard of the Atlantic, Sri Sumbhajee of the Indian, Sao Feng of the South China Sea, Hector _acting _as Caspian pirate lord, and of course, Captain Jack Sparrow of the Caribbean. It was just strange that he was brought to life once again. She suspected it was Tia Dalma, but how would she gain such power into doing so and why would she want Barbossa resurrected? It didn't make sense at all and wrapping her head around it, she realized that it was soon a lost cause because she was never going to figure it out on her lonesome.

Christopher shook his head, "Well, we have to deal with it if we want to get Jack back."

At the mention of his name again in the conversation, she looked down at her folded hands. Why would they have to in the first place? He seemed so heavy on staying with her... not the ship, her. They wouldn't have to if he was here. They wouldn't need Barbossa right now. Why would he go? Leave them thinking that it was the right thing? He could still be alive! He could still be with... her. She suddenly felt this anger, this angst, against Jack. Someone, she thought she would never feel it for. If he was still there, none of this would've happened.

She clenched her teeth, feeling angry daggers form in her eyes. Her fists, balled beyond her control. She stated to Christopher through her clenched teeth, "If he had stayed, this wouldn't have happened."

Christopher looked to her taken back by the sudden hate in her voice, it almost scared him. "What do you mean by that, Nic?"

"I mean, that if he would've stayed," she started, contemplating it all in her head as she tried to choose her words carefully, "he would still be here. I made a promise, if he was to go down with the _Pearl_, I was to. I was willing to the very end! The very fucking end. Don't you see? Why would he stay? Jack, was the one who would run away from danger, it's not like him! At all. If he stayed, I would still have him. Now I feel like I'm dying, like he had. By the minute, I'm dying. Not only that, but we wouldn't need the bloody help of Barbossa, nor would we need to go to the damn locker! We would be safe from it all." Her voice was shaky, Christopher didn't bother to show his compassion for her. It wasn't Jack's choice. Was the secret going to be this hard everyday? He put an arm around her shoulder to bring her closer to him, but she pushed him away very quickly, "No, don't touch me. The last thing I need is sympathy."

Chris wasn't surprised about that either, he gulped, trying not to show the lie he was about to tell her on his face. It was Elizabeth's business with her, he would never speak of it to her. As much as it pained him to not tell her. He started to her, "Maybe he wanted us to live." Nicolette looked at him in disbelief. "Jack is a very wise man. He may not seem like it, but from the short time I spent with him, he has proven to me to be the smartest man that I know. He knew something that we didn't at the time. If he was still alive, Jones would've known." The truth of it hit Nicolette like a bullet, Jones would've definitely known that he was still alive.

When she didn't speak or try to, Christopher almost recited the words of reasoning Elizabeth said to him before, "The _Pearl, _yes, would've been dragged to the depths, but Jones didn't want the ship exactly. Jack had a debt, a debt that would've only be settled by either death sentences. Unless, Jones was dead, it would've all gone away. But even though we didn't have the heart, I still think with it, we would still be in the same exact position. Since Jones thought, we didn't have it. If Jack was still alive, then Jones would be still after us. On or off land. Kraken or with his crew. Maybe Jack wanted to save us, that be why he elected on staying."

"You're right. Jones wouldn't have stopped. He never gave up on which who owed him." Nicolette stated to him, but it was more of a reassurance to herself. "I promised though."

"Aye," Christopher agreed with her, he knew that Nic was determined. If she was determined, no doubt, she always kept her word. "I heard. Like some things aren't meant to be healed, some promises are meant to be broken. Aye, Jack definitely made you break that promise to him... but I think he only did it because he loves you." The lies that kept pouring out of his mouth were so hard to stop. He didn't know what Jack was feeling. He hoped Jack was feeling this, even though it was against his will, he hoped with everything in him. Maybe he did, Elizabeth only helped him make the choice. The man was probably beckoning whether to go with them or stay, as strange as it sounded to Chris, he would do the same. Jack was a pirate, but from what he heard, he was a good man. Nicolette was lucky. "He's a good man, Nic."

His voice was genuine, it was the first time that Nicolette actually fully agreed with her brother, he was a good man. The best man to her. For once, during these past few weeks, what he was saying was a sort of blessing. Her father couldn't bless them being together since she was kicked out and ran away with him, her brother was her only family as of now. It meant a lot, but she didn't say anything about it.

Christopher softly smiled at her and then tried again to put his around her shoulder to bring her closer to him, Nicolette laid her head down on her brother's shoulder. She wasn't sobbing at all, but tears definitely did hit her cheeks slowly and softly. She didn't speak a single word, there was no point in doing so. She enjoyed the silence.

Nicolette smiled sadly realizing something, "All that is in present tense."

Christopher nodded, "Yes, with good reason."

Nic's hopes rose up into something that she never thought to be possible, she actually felt real faith in not only that Chris was telling the truth, but also that they were definitely going to get Jack. She could feel it. She inquired to him, "You actually think that we are going to get him?"

"As much as it sounds impossible to believe that we are," Christopher started to her, looking forward. "I believe so. I don't thing I've ever been more surer in my life before."

Nicolette was happy that they had a chance, whether it was with or without Barbossa's help, she didn't care. If it ended with being in Jack's arms once more, she would do anything. As if it was hitting her for the first time, like it had plenty of other times, she said to Christopher with her heart dropping in her chest, "I just can't believe that he's not here."

Christopher looked down into the water, he only just noticed the audience around them. He didn't bother with their presence, no matter how uncomfortable it had been. "I know," he said, "we'll get him though. I'll make sure of it... I promise." Though, he promised, there was something developed in Christopher that he never noticed before. Though, with his sister, he still wanted his life back. No doubt, if he would step into an office of EITC, he would be hanged. Lord Beckett was that type of person, he would condemn you even if you are related to piracy, he wanted it gone that badly. His reputation was most likely tarnished, but there was always a way to get that reputation back.

Nicolette and him, were two different people. Two very different people, they were close (enough), but their sides were set the moment he stepped into the company and the moment she stepped into piracy. He had to get his ship back, he never forgotten. The _Greene Marauder _was the ship he had been on forever. He had started there as a deckhand, then as third mate, then to Captain, forcibly. He grew attached in the three years he was Captain of it... he was really attached. And he swore to himself that when he saw _Patrick O'Connor_, there would be a bullet in his forehead. He would just do it. Just for the hell of it.

They were on two different sides, and there were two of Christopher, Christopher Grayson, the man he was for sixteen years. The man that everyone knew him as. And then there was Christopher Brown, the man who he was originally. The man who had the name he was born with, but felt disgraced by his family and changed for reasons he no longer knew. Christopher Grayson. He looked down at his hand, he never realized it, nor did anyone else, that he still had his ring that he used to seal his letters with. It had the symbol of the East India Trading Company, under it, was his initials. Why had no one noticed it anyway? Even Jack Sparrow, the most observant man, hadn't. Nor Nicolette. Nor Sheppard. Nor Will, nor Elizabeth, nor Gibbs. They were to oblivious to notice it since they were dealing with his own issues.

Nicolette picked her head up and looked up at her brother, she didn't at all see the contemplation that was going through his mind at all. Although, it was written all over his face. She was too blinded, if only she would've realized it, it might have prevented certain events of the future. She chuckled lightly to him, "You know, I think we just bonded."

Christopher gulped and looked down at her, he tried clearing all that was running through his mind. She looked to much like mum, and she even acted like her to make matters worse. He faked a smile to her and replied, "Yes, I believe we had."

* * *

It took Nicolette and Christopher a while for them to come back inside, but when they had something was different. There was a smile on Nic's face, it seemed almost foreign, but her eyes were still glazing with water... daring her to cry any minute. Christopher had a smile, too, but unfortunately it was easily told that it was fake to someone who actually paid attention. No one had. Barbossa stopped what he was doing, and locked eyes with the mutt herself. She looked to the apple and before going over and slapping it out of his hand, her smile turned into a smirk.

When she did what she wanted, the bitten twice green apple rolled onto the wooden floor. She looked behind her shoulder and gestured for Chris to throw in the cloudy water outside, hoping the cloudy water would at least rot the rotten apple for good. Barbossa glared at her as the monkey on his shoulder screeched its loudest. She didn't cringe or lash out on it like she would usually.

She said to Barbossa, "I'm willing to work with you."

Six words people weren't sure that were going to be heard from her.

"I didn't think that you had much of a choice, _Nicky._" In a second, the sound of that nickname sent Barbossa's face to the other side. She slapped him hard leaving a red mark on his rough skin already. She never wanted to hear someone other than Jack say that nickname to her. It was his possession and privilege. No one else's, so, definitely not Barbossa's. Of course he thought he was an exception to the rule that wasn't written down. Though, usually should would be insulted, she wasn't. Nicolette knew very well that that was what Barbossa wanted... a reaction from her. She kept her smirk.

But through it, she told him these even words, "Don't test me."

"And what might I ask, would happen if—?" He was interrupted in the middle of his sentence by another slap that Nicolette gladly planted on his cheek. This time, it was harder and the spot was getting redder around it. Barbossa gritted his teeth and looked to Nicolette, the glare that was already posed upon her was narrowed even more. Nicolette wasn't discouraged by it at all. In fact, it only made her smirk grow.

"Listen to me," she started, "I am willing to work with you on these terms and on these terms only. One, don't call me Nicky, no one is allowed to and since you aren't an exception, Captain Barbossa, you are not allowed to either. Two, is more of a tale, that can turn into reality. It can turn very easily, I warn you. Since you are the pirate lord of the Caspian Sea, I would assumed that you know what tsar is in Russia... am I correct?"

"The name seems to escape me."

"I should be surprised and yet I'm not. It's translated to Caesar, you know who Caesar is?" Barbossa only shrugged, causing her to roll her eyes. "I shouldn't assume, you can't spell ass without it. Anyway, there was a ruler, a monarch sort to speak, he was terrible. Not in a horrific way, only a strict way. And he had a special hatred for nobles. Some say that it was since he was born, some say that it was after he was betrayed by them. To me, I think it was both. The death of his first wife, he had many, only set him off since they said it was the only one that he truly love. The men that betrayed him were found, and they died slowly, tortuous. Something that made them regret what they had done to cause himself pain."

Barbossa took in all she had told him with a face of stone, it was indirect way of saying the second term. Unfortunately for him, he had no idea what was the second term. Nicolette kept her smug smirk still and Barbossa pursed his lips before inquiring, "And what may be the moral of your little tale? I don't seem like I have caught it yet."

"That should surprise me but yet again I am not." Her voice was emotionless and her smug smirk dropped as she took a small step toward him, so it was easier for him to read her lips just in case he didn't at all get the point. "The moral is don't make me become an Ivan the Terrible. There's always a turning point for that. Mine didn't happen yet, if it's supposed to happen. So if you betray me, or Jack, or any other person that is in this shack at the moment... I will become that. I will become Nicolette the Terrible, do you understand me?"

"You're understood, I believe." He stated to her, but Nicolette could tell that he wasn't at all serious. Too bad, for him, she was being very serious. "Then I be guessing those be all your terms that you have to present to me." Nicolette thought for a moment, but then nodded.

"I believe so. Follow those, I'll make this trip plenty enough easier for you. I'll do as you say, stay out of your way, anything. I just want Jack back here."

"Fair enough." Barbossa said to her and then extended his hand for her to shake it and make the temporary alliance more official than before between them. Nicolette stepped back a couple of inches, to look down at it pointedly. "Our alliance is temporary, of course. When we get what we both want we'll end it right there." What exactly did he want? No one in Tia's shack questioned it. "Do we have an accord here, Miss. Brown."

Taking in a deep breath, she wondered what she was getting into when she was going to shake that dirty hand of his. She didn't trust him, and why would she? She had every right not to trust him. But, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But was that really a good idea? When she grabbed his hand with a firm shake, it was clear that the easier trip she promised was going to be longer than she expected. It was almost like making a deal with the devil, making it with Davy Jones himself. But, nevertheless, she said to him with a straight face _seeming_ that she actually had trust in him, "Agreed."

* * *

_**Ah, brother and sister bonded :) But I don't think Chris is going to stick around in the next around since he's talking of sides, do you? Nicolette's threat to Barbossa, I wasn't sure about doing it and if the information about that is right because that supposedly did happen according to the internet and Mr. Juzwiak my S.S. Teacher. Some people wanted him slapped, actually a lot wanted him like that, so I did it twice and she even smacked away his stupid apple! This is the last chapter with Nicolette in it. Nicolette and a lot of others aren't going to be in it, it's already written, so... I might post it soon after this. Probably Sunday or Monday. It's like an epilogue except it touches AWE a bit, like the very beginning. You'll see what I mean. **_

_**So I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to let me know with a review. ;) Have a nice day!**_


	24. Rights and Wrongs

_**Well, my pets, we reach our end with another instalment and now we are going on to the next one. Which, I'm going to put out tomorrow night. I enjoyed writing this as much as the first and I hope you all enjoyed it. I'd like to thank my loyal reviewers, my loyal favoriters, and my loyal alerters. I'll see you in my partly different version of AWE, I'm not going to say how, I'm not going to say anything or give out anything you'll all just have to wait and see ;) Good things come to those who wait. **_

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Four: Rights and Wrongs_

_Singapore. We are going to Singapore on this day, August 7th, exactly three days after I am giving this letter. The voyage, I'm not sure how long it would be. This letter may be very vague, but it has to be if you want to know more. Meet me in an alleyway that is hidden deep in the market. I looked at the map and it's not that far away from Sao Feng's hiding. You want piracy to be ended? Then meet me, I shall give you more information and in return, I wish my name to be cleared and for me to become what I was beforehand. Don't bring anyone with you. And you must leave immediately once it is given. You must make great haste to get to Singapore. I'll try my best to talk the Captain of the ship we'll be using into going slowly, but it is not guaranteed. _

* * *

A hooded man walked to the shore of Cuba, he looked left and right, he looked around for a ship. Any ship. Cuba, wasn't a very popular trading area, but nevertheless he believed that there had to be at least one. Maybe one that happened to be headed to Port Royal. When he looked over the parchment that he had wrote out to the East India Trading Company, he was debating whether this was a good idea, risk everyone's trust to get what he wanted. He didn't have time to contemplate it though, what was done... was done. And it would be even more final when he would find a ship to give it to.

He stood there for quite a while, and then, ending his wait, he saw a ship loading supplies at the end of the dock. The name of it was the _HMS Success, _it was a Navy Vessel and it made him all the more curious as to why it was there exactly. He didn't want the need to question it. He went to it anyway, catching up to a man in uniform that happened to be very familiar to him. He wore it plenty of times before. The man looked to him as he was loading, he couldn't note the face since it was covered, whoever it was... didn't want to be noticed at all.

"Sir," the worker started, dropping the load that he had in his hands, "how might I help you?"

The mysterious man didn't say a word, he only held out the parchment sealed with his ring's clay imprint. The worker took it puzzled and looked it over. The hooded man said, speaking more formal than he had in what seemed to be weeks, "Sir, where are you headed?"

"Port Royal. We have no room for people to passage, mate. We have strict orders that we aren't allowed to allow passage of others that don't belong to the company as well." The man chuckled to himself and stopped the rambling of the worker with his hand.

"I'm not bartering passage. From you, anyway." The worker raised his eyebrow and took a look at the parchment in his hand and saw the imprinted seals. It held his initials and some kind of symbol, it didn't seem hooded man continued, "And I am part of the company."

"Then why don't you take off the hood so I can see your face." The man only smirked and shook his head no. Like hell he would. The worker raised his eyebrow, and added on, "Then I apologise, sir. I cannot do what you want to ask of me to do."

"Forgive me, if I do not want to be seen." He stated quickly when he saw the man about to carry on with his work. The man stopped again, annoyed that he was pestering him. He lied quickly, "I have enemies here and if they do see me and what I am doing then I would surely be killed for this act." The second part really wasn't a lie, there was no doubt of the possibility of him being murdered if any of the crew saw. They were bloody pirates, of course they would do anything to defend their own. Just like how they hooded man would defend _his_ own. It was just how it worked.

The worker looked at him still puzzled, "What's your name?" He asked and the hooded man debated whether or not he should say it to him. It would only add to the suspicion of him hiding something. He was doing it only to gain trust, maybe only starting by gaining trust from this man at first was the first step for Lord Beckett.

He looked around him cautiously and didn't see familiar faces at all. He turned back to the worker, "My name, mustn't be repeated," he started, "My name is Captain Christopher Grayson."

The worker's face fell, he heard of this man, he was a huge failure to the company, got his ship taken away and his title stripped for not following orders completely and thoroughly. The nerve of the man to still call himself a Captain. "My old affiliation was the company and I acted as a Captain for it for three years. Some said, that I have been the most loyal out of them all that the company has ever seen. I'm still loyal to the company.

"That letter you have in your hand there, is very important. It must be only seen by your Captain, if you choose to let him hold it for you, Ian Mercer, Lord Beckett's assistant, or Lord Beckett himself, which is more preferred. It is at the utmost urgency that it gets to them in three weeks time. If you choose to deliver it though, you have to be sure that it goes to them specifically. Am I clear?"

"Very."

Christopher asked him, "Should I trust you that you will do this for me?"

"Does it benefit us in anyway?" Christopher nodded to the worker. The worker added, "I will do what you ask."

Christopher smiled at him thankfully, "Then, I believe, sir," he extended his hand to him, "we have an accord." The worker took it in his hand and gave it a firm shake. When he retreated his hand, Christopher walked away and looked around for another ship that wasn't a part of the East India Trading Company, nor the Royal Navy. And that was when he laid eyes on the moored ship called the _Hinterland Thane,_ he knew it very well. Knowing the Captain to be Captain Burnett, a man who owed Christopher his life.

Christopher pulled down his hood and took off his cloak to let it fly away in the wind. Barbossa trusted him to get the bartering passage way to Singapore. A journey that would take the crew of the _Pearl_ weeks at a time. They couldn't go about on a longboat, it wouldn't be able to hold the eleven of them. Lee, would definitely allow them all to Singapore, even though the risk. So, Christopher proceeded on seeing him making a deal with a dock holder, doing what he was supposed to and thought to be doing by the others.

* * *

_Two and a half weeks later._

Drums. Snare drums were heard all around the dark gallows that were in the middle of Port Royal. It was only a few weeks of Lord Beckett's power and now the people of Port Royal were being imposed of new rules. Half the town was to be hanged, and there was a long line that almost made it completely around the island. An officer with the new decree was standing feet away from them, reading, his voice showed no emotion, no sympathy for those that were to be hanged. Who would? They were examples of the new law, to scare the others of not doing any of the sort.

A set of seven, tall, short, stout, long, people of many origins stood with the nooses around their necks. None showed their tears on their dirty faces, none showed their innocent faces through the grime, but no matter how they tried the trembled more and more.. There was no proof for what Lord Beckett was condemning them for. Half the town was being condemned since his new laws had such a vast number. "In order to affect the timely halt of deteriorating conditions, and to ensure the common good, a state of emergency is declared for these territories. By decree of Lord Cutler Beckett, duly appointed representative of the King. By decree, according to Marshall law the following statutes are temporary amended."

Everyone braced themselves as the executioner wrapped his hand around the lever, the officer continued, "Right to assembly, suspended." The lever was pulled and then they were hanged.

"Right to habius corpus, suspended." The new row of people were now hanged. Another row.

"Right to legal council, suspended." Hanged.

Another row. "Right to verdict by a jury of peers, suspended." Hanged.

Another row of seven took their places while the hangmen's were throwing their new pairs of boots into a pile. The corpses of the recently hanged, were in a large wagon, to be burnt.

No one wanted the officer to continue, but he did anyway without any sort of delay, "By decree all persons convicted of piracy, or aiding a person convicted of piracy, or associating with a person convicted of piracy shall be sentenced to hang by the neck until death." James Norrington walked along the line of prisoners with his heart clenching, this was all wrong. He felt it already. But nevertheless he kept silent, he couldn't do otherwise, it was what he was trained to do. That was until, he saw a familiar man in the line.

His skin... yellow. His eyes just as yellow. He was short and stout, not lean and tall. The drunk that everyone knew, and that everyone mocked. Though, he was a successful drunk in what he did. He didn't shed a tear, knowing his fate. He actually didn't really mind his fate at all. It was better to be hanged then rather die of sickness, but it only made James' heart drop in his chest. There was no need for a sick man like him to be hanged from the noose. James slowly walked backward, and then made a quick pace to Beckett, smelling the stench of dead bodies around him. He only just smelt it when they were doing this all day... it was sickening for the vast numbers of deaths taken place. This wasn't justice, it was murder.

James started, seeing Beckett at his desk, "Sir,"

Beckett smiled as he took a sip of his teeth, he wore black. Not to mourn the death that he was causing, but to show how black his heart was. He turned to Norrington, "Ah, Admiral. Just the man I wanted to see at the moment."

James raised his brow, but didn't comment, he needed answers. He didn't smile back at the man, "Sir," he tried again, "is it necessary for Mr. Brown to be in the gallows?"

"He's associated with a pirate. Not only that, but that said pirate is his daughter and now his son—." Cutler Beckett had been cut off, by the sound of a song.

The young cabin boy had a coin in his hand. It wasn't just any coin and as he flipped it over and over again, he knew that it was time to call upon what was needed. The pirates' lives were at stake of the fate that he had. He needed to call it.

In a soft, grim voice, he sang, _"The King and his men, stole the Queen from her bed."_ Drums pounded again, but in short rolls.

"_They bound her in her bones."_ The drums only signal the countdown of his death.

He knew it, but he continued in stronger tone, _"The seas be ours and by the powers."_ The drumming was taunting the death for him and the other prisoners.

"Where we will, we'll roam."

Silence. A dark man at the end of the line heard it all very clearly. The boy didn't continue, so he took matters into his hands now. He sang in a softer voice that became stronger by every word,_ "Yo ho, all lads. Hoist the colours high..."_

The whole line continued with the the man and again the boy, _"Heave ho, thieves and beggars. Never shall we die."_ The song gave the men and women of the gallows hope. They looked around defiantly at the officers who were surrounding them. They sang their strongest, even Jeremiah, whose voice was already hoarse from his near death, _"Yo ho, all together, __hoist the colours high..."_

Groves ran to Beckett quickly and saw both Norrington and him staring down at each other. "Lord Beckett!" Beckett turned to see Groves frightened of what was happening around him. "They've," he gulped, not knowing what it all meant, "started to sing, sir."

Beckett smiled, this was exactly what he was waiting for, "Finally." When he stood up to leave and go give orders to prepare the _Endeavour, _he heard a voice that was annoyed try to speak to him again,

"Sir, please, just because Nic..." he paused and corrected that, earning questionable looks from those around him, "Miss. Brown and Mr. Grayson chose piracy don't make him die. He's already sick enough to pass on. At least send him to a doctor, so he'll be cared for properly." Groves looked to his former superior and friend, seeing something in the Admiral's eyes that he hadn't seen before. He was acting strange and the look in his eyes were a rather protective and desperate. To keep a drunk safe, no less. But he was only doing it for one person and Groves, who somewhat knew already who that person was, understood.

Beckett looked at Norrington for a moment and then looked to Groves, "Release Mr. Jeremiah Brown from being condemned. Send him to a doctor." Beckett looked to Norrington who only nodded thankfully, happy he at least saved one life out of thousands. When Beckett was about to leave, a man with a letter came to him on the fort. A worker of the company.

He bowed, "Lord Beckett?" Cutler acknowledged him with a slight bow of his head. The worker went into his pocket to retrieve the letter Grayson had given him two weeks ago. "A letter from Cuba. I was told to bring it to you from a hooded man."

"A hooded man? Did he give a name?" Beckett asked and took the letter out of the worker's hand. He saw the seal with the initials _C.G._ He wondered.

"Captain Christopher Grayson, sir." _Interesting, still called himself a Captain._ Beckett waved him off and then quickly opened the parchment letter the man had given him. He scanned the words. Not only did he still believe that he was still a Captain, but he expected the company to still have trust in him. James looked at him puzzled from behind, the song ended with the hanging of the little boy and the others. James transferred his gaze to them, His heart partly regaining where it was, seeing Officer Groves take Mr. Brown away. But it soon dropped again, when he noticed the new row of innocent people take their places by the noose.

Beckett muttered, "Seems like Officer Grayson," he called him Officer Grayson on purpose, he was far away from being a Captain, "still has an ounce of loyalty. Singapore, we must go to." Singapore? The last name of Grayson made James' eyes cast away from the prisoners and to Beckett. That letter was from Christopher? He felt a sudden uneasiness about all this, but then Lord Beckett's sinister voice made its way back to him, "You heard that, Admiral? Prepare the ship, according to this we are already behind in getting there. So we must make great haste."

James tried not to glare at him hatefully, so he only agreed with the order, "Yes, my Lord. I shall get to it right away. We'll sail with the evening tide."

"Perfect."

* * *

_**Bad Christopher, bad. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter along with the rest of the story. It saddens me to end DMC, but I can't wait for AWE, and you're all going to kill me for the certain events that are going to take place. The first chapter is already written, so I'll edit tonight and then post it sometime tomorrow. So look out for Closer to the Edge, (and it's not named that as a way of At World's End, it's a song... again, lol. If you want to listen to it it's on my profile.) And, "It's after 10 PM, do you know where your children are?"**_

_Closer to the Edge_

_During the struggle of piracy, Nicolette Brown finds herself in a web mixed with piracy and East India Trading Company spun by her brother. Dealing with the situation, she learns new things about herself, Jack's past, and her new feelings toward a man she would never expect. Nic never thought to be in love with two men at the same time, until meeting with James again._


End file.
